Sergeant First Class Pedro A. Muñoz was born on June 30, 1957, and grew up in Quebradillas, a small community on the northwestern coast of Puerto Rico. His father served during the Korean War, and Pedro grew up wanting to follow in his footsteps.
In February 1986 Pedro enlisted in the Army and trained as an automated logistical specialist. He went on to the Special Forces Qualification Course, graduating in 1990, and joined the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Shortly after earning his Green Beret he deployed for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in the mid-1990s he served in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy. He also completed a tour in Colombia.
In 1999, in his early forties, Pedro earned a coveted place on the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, and he jumped with the team for several years. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, he returned to Special Forces, and in 2002 he joined the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Fort Bragg as a detachment operations and intelligence sergeant.
In 2004 Pedro deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Late on the evening of January 1, 2005, near Shindand, his team set out to capture a Taliban commander believed to be inside a compound. As Pedro cleared the building he entered a room where a Taliban fighter was hiding among women and children, and he was shot and wounded. Despite his wounds he kept fighting. “Sergeant First Class Munoz continued to support his detachment, firing selectively, engaging only armed combatants without harming any non-combatants,” recalled Colonel Mark Gorton, deputy commander of the 7th Special Forces Group. “His dedication and his courage are evident through his actions: protecting innocent life, staying in the fight without thought for himself while supporting his teammates, allowing them to successfully accomplish their mission.” Pedro killed his attacker. His team evacuated him, but he died of his wounds early on January 2, 2005. He was 47.
Pedro was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. His other decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge (second award), the Special Forces Tab and the Master Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge. In 2021 the Department of Veterans Affairs honored him as its Veteran of the Day during Caribbean-American Heritage Month. He is survived by his wife, Gisela, and his daughter, Dalia.
SFC Munoz completed over 4,000 freefall jumps with the Golden Knights and fought with heroic gallantry in Shindand, earning the Silver Star.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Command
Sources
- VA News: #VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Pedro Munoz
- ARSOF History: Sergeant First Class Pedro A. Munoz
- Military Times Hall of Valor: Pedro Munoz
- Green Beret Foundation memorial: Pedro A. Munoz
- Family-provided records on file with MVF: Pedro Munoz bio
