Edward C. Byers Jr.

Edward C. Byers Jr. is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Medal of Honor on 29 February 2016 for the rescue of a civilian in Afghanistan in 2012. Byers retired after 21 years of service on September 19, 2019 at the Washington Navy Yard. During his service, Byers completed 11 overseas deployments, which included nine combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded four Bronze Star Medals with a valor device and two Purple Hearts. Byers is the sixth SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor and the first member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team Six, to receive the Medal of Honor for an action as a unit member.

Following his distinguished military career, Byers was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in November 2017. In his post-service life, Byers has been actively involved in various events and causes, like joining fellow Medal of Honor recipient Hershel W. Williams at the launching ceremony for a ship named after Williams. He also attended a joint session of Congress as Bob Latta's guest and participated in a SEAL Family Foundation fundraiser in Rancho Santa Fe, California, as an "honored guest."

Byers' educational accomplishments include a Bachelor of Science degree in strategic studies and defense analysis from Norwich University and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In May 2018, he was selected for promotion to master chief petty officer. Presently, Byers is the CEO and founder of Minerva 6 Institute, a government contracting and corporate solutions company.