Maj. James Downing

C Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment

Maj. James Downing isn’t afraid to suffer for his men.

Just before his deployment to Iraq in November 2006, the 82nd Airborne Division captain tore the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee. Rather than undergo surgery and miss the deployment, Downing strapped on a knee brace and led C Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, through 15 months of combat missions.

“Major Downing always led from the front, often exposing himself to enemy fire … while he himself had a severe orthopedic injury requiring surgery,” Maj. Paul Schillaci, a physician assistant who deployed with Downing, wrote to Army Times.

Downing never let his men go on a mission without him. He led 56 combat air assault missions that killed 160 enemy fighters, Capt. Thomas Nelson wrote. On one occasion, one of his platoons was under heavy enemy fire. “Major Downing led a patrol straight into the fight,” Thomas wrote.

First Lt. Michael Hess, who served with Downing, wrote: “He’s the reason I’m staying in the military, he’s the reason I pushed my guys to the limit.”