Giunta to leave the Army in June

Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta will trade his warrior gear for school books later this year, the Army announced today.

Giunta, who grew up in Hiawatha and graduated from Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, plans to enroll at Colorado State University in Fort Collins after he leaves the Army in mid-June, said Army spokesman Todd Oliver.

Giunta had indicated as much in remarks at the Capitol last month when the Iowa congressional delegation honored him with a congressional joint resolution recognizing his service.

“I hopefully will find my way to Colorado and I'm looking at hopefully Colorado State,” he said. “I'm looking at either of two things, business or natural resource management. I don't really know, but I know knowledge is power and I'll just see where it takes me.”

Giunta, 26, who was en route Tuesday to his home base in Italy, has been the face of the American soldier since President Barack Obama presented him with the nation's highest military award on Nov. 16 at the White House.

A week later thousands of Eastern Iowans turned out along a Hiawatha parade route to welcome the hero home.

One of the largest television audiences of all time saw the uniformed Giunta waving from the sideline Sunday during Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. Another large audience saw him sitting with the first lady at Obama's Jan. 25 state of the union speech. Television audiences also saw him welcome the new year at New York's Times Square and on talk shows ranging from David Letterman to Stephen Colbert.

Throughout his numerous public appearances, Giunta has steadfastly reflected praise for his bravery onto all military personnel and especially the soldiers who served with him in Afghanistan.

Giunta, the first living American to receive the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq or Afghanistan, “has been a wonderful ambassador for the Army and for all who wear the uniform,” said Col. Greg Hapgood, public affairs officer for the Iowa National Guard.

Hapgood called Giunta a “humble and unassuming guy who does not necessarily enjoy or aspire to the spotlight but will do his best” in any mission or assignment.

“It's his time to find and follow his dream,” Hapgood said.

Giunta graduated in 2003 from Kennedy High School,  where he was considered a good but not overly committed student, and enlisted in the Army in the following November.

During his two combat tours in Afghanistan, his company lost 12 men in 27 months, and two of his closest friends, Sgt. Josh Brennan and Spc. Hugo Mendoza, died in the 2007 Taliban ambush in which Giunta's heroism was recognized.

A movement is afoot to name the new federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids after Giunta.

Retired Maj. Gen. Robert Sentman of Tiffin said Iowa congressional leaders have been contacted about the idea and that Rep. Dave Loebsack, who represents Iowa's 1st District, has assigned staff to explore the possibility.