Polish and U.S. Army leaders unveil the updated plaque at the Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis Warrior Grill at Camp Kosciuszko, Poznan, Poland, June 12, 2026. Ollis posthumously received the Medal of Honor on March 2, 2026, for shielding a Polish officer from a suicide bomber during a 2013 attack in Afghanistan. (Logan Ubaldo Lechuga/U.S. Army)
POZNAN, Poland — Nearly 13 years after Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis sacrificed his life to save a Polish officer in Afghanistan, the American soldier’s legacy remains a powerful symbol of military partnership here.
The bond was renewed Friday at Camp Kosciuszko, which rededicated the dining hall named for Ollis after his Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Military leaders from both countries joined soldiers at U.S. Army Garrison Poland to mark the occasion through a ceremony at the Michael H. Ollis Warrior Grill.
The new award for Ollis recognizes his actions during an Aug. 28, 2013, insurgent attack in Ghazni province in which he gave his life while protecting Polish 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica.
Ollis’ heroism was initially recognized with the Silver Star, which was later upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross in 2019.
Following years of advocacy by his family, veterans groups and supporters, the Army’s second-highest award for valor was upgraded to the Medal of Honor earlier this year.
The decoration was presented to his parents, Robert and Linda Ollis, during a White House ceremony on March 2.
According to the Medal of Honor citation, Ollis charged toward enemy fire during an attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni. During the attack, he shielded Cierpica from a suicide bomber, absorbing the blast and sacrificing his own life.
The dining facility in Poznan was dedicated to Ollis in 2023. At Friday’s ceremony, an updated plaque reflecting his Medal of Honor award was unveiled.
The event took place during celebrations of the Army’s 251st birthday at a base whose name pays tribute to a Polish military engineer who fought heroically in the American Revolutionary War.
“I think it’s highly appropriate that we conduct this rededication here today in a dining facility named after Staff Sergeant Ollis on an installation named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who came to America’s defense 251 years ago,” garrison commander Col. Jeremy McHugh said.
Ollis’ actions have long held special significance in Poland, where many view him as a symbol of the close relationship forged between American and Polish service members during years of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speakers said Ollis’ sacrifice embodied the bond between the two NATO allies, a relationship that has grown significantly as U.S. forces have expanded their presence in Poland.
Known colloquially as Camp K, the base opened in 2023 in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine the previous year. It represents the first permanent U.S. military presence in Poland and has shored up what had been limited to rotational deployments.
Poland has repeatedly been praised by Defense Department leaders as a “model ally,” and the country wants President Donald Trump to add to the U.S. force posture there.
For U.S. soldiers stationed in Poland, Ollis serves as a daily reminder of a bond forged in combat and a partnership that continues to shape the countries’ relationship.
“Staff Sergeant Ollis did not do this because of a formal treaty alliance. He did not do this because of an enhanced defense cooperation agreement,” McHugh said. “He did it for brotherhood, for kinship that develops between soldiers in harm’s way.”
