RIT alum, U.S. marine earns Navy Cross

U.S. Marine Capt. Brian Chontosh ’00 (mechanical engineering technology) joined the ranks of Navy Cross recipients in a May ceremony honoring him for his actions during combat in Iraq. Second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross is awarded to those in the Navy or Marines who display extraordinary bravery in the face of danger.

U.S. Marine Capt. Brian Chontosh, right, proudly wears the Navy Cross he was awarded while on tour in Iraq. Photo by Cpl. Jeremy Vought, USMC.

The day was March 25, 2003. Chontosh was riding in a Humvee, part of a platoon under his command in an anti-armor convoy headed north toward Baghdad. Shortly into the trip, the column came under attack from an Iraqi position parallel to the road. Machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades rained down on the vehicles of Chontosh’s platoon. He ordered his driver to charge the Humvee directly toward the enemy position as the gunner atop the vehicle attacked the enemy emplacement, silencing the Iraqi machine-gun.

The driver rammed the Humvee directly into the enemy trench as Chontosh and the others jumped out to take the fight to the Iraqi soldiers. Chontosh fired his rifle until his ammo was depleted. He then drew his pistol, firing until he was out of bullets. Next, he picked up a discarded AK-47 from the trench and used all its remaining bullets.

His comrades fighting beside him passed him a rocket-propelled grenade launcher taken from the Iraqis that he used to dispatch another enemy position. His armaments now without ammunition, he picked up another used Iraqi AK-47 and fought until all his ammo was spent.

When the battle was over, Chontosh and his two Marine counterparts had cleared more than 200 meters of the enemy trench.

“I was just doing my job; I did the same thing every other Marine would have done,” Chontosh says. “It was just a passion and love for my Marines. The experience put a lot into perspective.”

Chontosh also earned a reputation for excellence at RIT, finishing a five-year mechanical engineering technology program in four years.

Lou Gennaro, CAST emeritus professor and retired Army officer, recalls Chontosh as an RIT student:

“Brian had been sent to RIT to complete his education. He was a Marine sergeant at the time and had been chosen for this academic honor by a very selective, rigorous and competitive process. He approached his quest for a degree as diligently, effectively and competently as any student I have ever had.”