Eric Slover Receives Medal of Honor During State of the Union for Role in Maduro Raid
Chief Warrant Officer 5 eric slover, a U. S. Army helicopter pilot who was wounded in the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was awarded the Medal of Honor on Tuesday during the State of the Union. The presentation matters because it marked the first time a Medal of Honor has been presented during the annual address and put a wartime mission at the center of a national event.
Eric Slover honored in the chamber
As eric slover and his wife entered the chamber, they received a standing ovation and chants of “USA, USA, USA. ” President Donald Trump presented the medal and described Slover’s actions in detail, noting that Slover continues to recover from wounds sustained during the operation.
Operation Absolute Resolve and Slover’s role
Trump credited Slover with helping to plan Operation Absolute Resolve and said he served as the flight lead aboard the first Chinook helicopter to approach the Caracas compound under the cover of night. Because he was the flight lead, Slover was at the controls when hostile fire struck the aircraft as it prepared to land; the result was that he was repeatedly hit in the leg and hip but still guided the helicopter and recovered his team.
Attack on the heavily fortified Caracas compound
The president described the mission as “very dangerous” because the enemy “knew we were coming. ” He said the military installation was protected by thousands of soldiers and guarded by Russian and Chinese technology. Those defenses help explain the scale of resistance Slover’s aircraft encountered when it approached the compound.
Wounds, recovery and the flight home
Trump recounted that Slover was struck “one bullet after another, ” absorbing four agonizing shots that he said shredded Slover’s leg into numerous pieces. Despite the severity of the wounds, Slover brought the aircraft and his team back to safety. The president described the scene in the cabin: “Maduro was the only thing Eric was thinking about, ” and even as blood flowed down the aisle the helicopter landed at a steep angle. Trump noted Slover continues to recover from his injuries.
Medal of Honor presentation during the State of the Union
The ceremony on Tuesday evening marked the first time a Medal of Honor has been presented during the annual address. The event paired two recognitions: retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams also received the Medal of Honor that night for his actions as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. The simultaneous presentation tied a contemporary clandestine operation to a long-standing tradition of military valor.
What makes this notable is the convergence of a classified operation’s public recognition with a constitutionally mandated presidential address: a wartime narrative was elevated in real time to a stage seen by lawmakers and the nation, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on the mission’s success. The cause—Slover’s leadership under fire and his decision to land despite severe wounds—directly produced the effect of a successful extraction and his selection for the nation’s highest military decoration.
The account of the raid and the award was relayed by a reporter who covers the White House and Pentagon. Tanya Noury is a reporter for Military Times and Defense News, with coverage focusing on those beats.
