Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, 24, of Staten Island, N.Y., died Aug. 28, in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device, small arms and indirect fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, N.Y. Ollis joined the Army in August 2006. After training at Fort Hamilton, New York and Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to Smith Barracks, Germany and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Ollis arrived at Fort Drum in November 2011. He previously deployed to Iraq in April 2008 to May 2009 and Afghanistan in June 2010 to May 2011. Ollis deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in January 2013. Ollis's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, the NATO Medal, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver Wheeled Vehicles and Tracked Vehicles. Ollis completed the Airborne School, the Ranger Course, the Infantry School, the Special Operations Senior Site Exploitation Course, the Air Assault School, the Combat Life Savers Course, the Command Language Program German Head Start Course, and the Medium Tactical Vehicle Course. obituary: Michael Harold Ollis, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, of New Dorp on August 28, 2013. Dear son of Bob and Linda Ollis. Fond brother of Kimberly Loschiavo, Kelly Manzolillo and brother-in-law of Billy Loschiavo and Dave Manzolillo. Loving uncle of William, Joseph and Thomas Loschiavo, Ava and Matthew Manzolillo. Funeral from the Hanley Funeral Home, 60 New Dorp Lane, Saturday 9:30 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial Our Lady Queen of Peace Church 10:30 A.M. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Friends will be received Thursday and Friday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the U.S.O., www.uso.org; Fischer House, www.fischerhouse.org, Fischer House Foundation, 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20850-5168; Wounded Warriors Project or your local veterans organization would be greatly appreciated. [Published in Staten Island Advance from September 11 to September 13, 2013] Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis will be posthumously decorated with the silver star during a ceremony in late October 2013.
Silver Star Citation: SYNOPSIS: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Michael Harold Ollis, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy while serving with the 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division (Light), in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, on 28 August 2013. On that date, a 3,000-pound car bomb breached the base's eastern perimeter wall, allowing ten insurgents in suicide vests to infiltrate the compound. At the time, Staff Sergeant Ollis sent his team from the post Morale, Welfare and Recreation building to get ready while he headed toward the blast site with only one magazine in his rifle and wearing no armor. There he found a Polish Lieutenant whose leg had reportedly taken shrapnel from the explosion. After helping him, Staff Sergeant Ollis moved the Polish officer to a point where other Special Forces personnel were engaged with the attacking insurgents. With 8 of the 10 insurgents killed, the Polish officer was wounded again in the other leg by a grenade thrown by the ninth attacker. Staff Sergeant was rendering first aid to the wounded officer when the final suicide-vest-wearing attacker approached from a different angle. Staff Sergeant Ollis stood up and moved himself between the Polish officer and the attacker, killing the enemy, however, the enemy's vest exploded, killing Staff Sergeant Ollis. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, at the cost of his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 10th Mountain Division, and the United States Army.
Source: Find a Grave