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IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif.- On a serene spring day, as a gentle breeze danced across the terrace and the sun broke through the clouds, a collective silence enveloped the Silver Strand Training Complex in Imperial Beach, Calif. Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Gold Star families, distinguished guests, NSW members, their families, and friends gathered to honor the unparalleled bravery and selflessness of Naval Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram.
On a serene spring day, as a gentle breeze danced across the terrace and the sun broke through the clouds, a collective silence enveloped the Silver Strand Training Complex in Imperial Beach, Calif. Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Gold Star families, distinguished guests, NSW members, their families, and friends gathered to honor the unparalleled bravery and selflessness of Naval Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram. Ingram was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism during a Naval Special Warfare operational mission on January 11, 2024, in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. In the dark of night, Ingram and his teammates were part of a mission that interdicted a vessel with an illegal shipment of Iranian-supplied ballistic-missile and cruise-missile components, preventing them from reaching Yemen. During the operation, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer Christopher J. Chambers lost his grip and fell into the water while attempting to board a dhow in heavy seas. Without hesitation, Ingram jumped into the sea to try and save his teammate. “The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is reserved for those who undertake extraordinary acts of selflessness, often at great peril to themselves, even more so than those they seek to save,” said a Naval Special Warfare Operator during the award ceremony. “Today, Gage will join the ranks of distinguished recipients of this esteemed medal, and we will etch his name into the hallowed halls of Naval Special Warfare, our Navy, and our country for all time.” The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. “One thing that stood out was Gage’s clear understanding of the fallen heroes who came before him and the profound legacies they left within the teams of Naval Special Warfare. In Gage’s words, ‘We have to lose one of us to learn and do better. It’s the only way we improve,’” said Mrs. Jewel Ingram, Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Ingram’s wife as she accepted the award during the ceremony. The loss of Chambers and Ingram triggered training and readiness reviews NSW-wide. Safety training, gear checks, and procedural reviews and implementation have been conducted and executed at every level to ensure the safety and readiness of each operator and combat support personnel, and honoring the memories of our lost teammates. Ingram enlisted in the Navy on September 25, 2019, and graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, in November 2019. He graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training Class 346 in December 2021. His awards and decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and other personal and unit awards. NSW provides maritime special operations force capabilities to enable Joint Force survivability inside denied and contested areas, and remains committed to ensuring the highest levels of safety and training for all of its members.
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