Honoring the Life of Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis

On March 2, 2026, the United States bestowed its highest military award, the Medal of Honor, posthumously upon Staff Sergeant Michael Harold Ollis. Hailing from Staten Island, New York. Michael came from a loving, patriotic family including his parents, Bob and Linda, and was doted upon by his much older adoring sisters Kimberly and Kelly.

Michael was destined for a life in the military, having grown up with a deep sense of community and service to others. Bob and Linda Ollis wanted us to know a little bit about Michael as a person “Michael was very generous with his time and friendship. He played soccer from the age of four and he enjoyed coaching soccer as a teen. He also tutored a younger friend with his schoolwork. As a soldier, he wanted to experience as much as the Army had to offer. He became a Paratrooper and a Ranger. He was invited to join an NCO organization, known as the Audie Murphy Club. He successfully passed three oral boards amid fighting the war in Iraq to earn the Audie Murphy Medallion.” His family and community are deeply proud of Michael and his legacy.

Having felt the call to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who had both served. Michael Enlisted at 17 with his parents’ permission following High School where he served as a member of the JROTC program.

By 2013 Michael who had previously deployed to Iraq was on his second deployment in Afghanistan. Having earned prestigious credentials as an Army Ranger, Michael was now deployed with the storied 10th Mountain Division. On August 28, 2013 SSG Ollis made the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of a collation partner. Ollis and his fellow soldiers came under a fierce coordinated assault by Taliban insurgents including rockets, mortar fire and a truck bomb that breached the perimeter wall.

*Members of the Ollis Family during presentation of the Medal of Honor*

In the ensuing chaos, SSG Ollis first ensured his own soldiers were safely secure in bunkers before rushing towards the breach. Armed only with his rifle and lacking protective body armor, Ollis joined up with coalition forces including Polish Lieutenant Karol Cierpica to repel the attackers.

During the attack Cierpica sustained wounds to both legs rendering him unable to walk. At that moment, an insurgent wearing a suicide vest emerged from around a corner. Ollis did not hesitate to bravely place himself between the wounded Polish officer and the attacker. Ollis had successfully incapacitated the terrorist, but the suicide vest detonated as he approached to secure the threat. While successfully shielding Cierpica from the full force of the blast, Ollis sustained mortal wounds and lost his life protecting the life of another at only 24 years old.

Michael’s story does not end there, his life continues to be honored so that his life and legacy will live on. Indeed, the Polish soldier he died saving, later named his son Michael to honor the life of the man who had saved him. In Poland Michael Ollis was posthumously awarding the Polish Army Gold Medal to honor him as a national hero. Today a bronze statue of Michael stands outside Michael J. Petrides School on Staten Island, Ollis’s alma mater. At the Petrides school, an athletic field bears Michael’s name in honor of his love of sports and his truly American story.

His parents started the SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation (SSGMOFF) in Michael's name to assist Veterans and their families “We didn't want Michael to be another horrible statistic of the War. We wanted his name and legacy to live on,” said Linda.

According to Bob and Linda, “SSGMOFF conducts food, household bedding and gift card drives, presents a yearly scholarship, supports organizations like America's VetDogs, Blue Star Families, Honor Flight, and the Giving Circle.” Linda was proud to let me know even an iconic Staten Island Ferry vessel bears his name.

Troopathon has a deep and personal connection to Michael Ollis’s legacy rooted in Michael’s personal motto “Deeds not Words.” Shortly after Michael passed, one of our supporters, Tom D., who, like Michael, was from Staten Island, reached out to me because he wanted to do something in honor of Michael. Tom once owned a soccer store and had met Michael and his sisters when Bob would bring the then five-year-old Michael into his shop. His loss had profoundly affected Tom, and he just knew he needed to honor Michael’s life and memory. Tom wanted to set up a monthly care package in Michael’s memory to ensure his life and legacy lived on in the hearts of our troops who are currently deployed. In addition to his regular monthly package which Tom has been sponsoring faithfully for more than 12 years, Tom regularly sponsors extra packages in Michael memory for holidays and particular care package drives. Tom also donated products and books over the years for inclusion in our care packages. It was extremely important to Tom to let us know that this mission is not about him, it is about Michael and his sacrifice. While speaking with Tom about his motivation, he shared that “Michael was a terrific kid, a true asset to his community. I just had to do something.”

Troopathon care packages always come with the option of honoring the memory or in service of someone else. Is there someone special in your heart that you would like to honor as well? We at Troopathon are here to offer that opportunity.

It is important to remember that our service members are real human beings who sacrifice on our behalf, and sometimes, like Michael they give their lives to protect our freedom and our American way of life. Linda Ollis put it best when she said, “We must support our deployed troops because they are our lifeline to the freedoms that we enjoy. We must let these brave men and women know that as they are there for us, we too are there for them.”

Help Troopathon Earn Top-Rated Award for 2026

We are thrilled to announce that Troopathon has been honored with the Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits for 2025. This makes our 12th straight year of receiving this prestigious recognition. Troopathon stives to deliver quality care packages for our troops and a wonderful experience for our volunteers and supporters, and we are proud to receive GreatNonprofits recognition for our effort, it’s just another way of letting us know we are staying the course of our core mission. To help us ensure we continue our award streak for 2026, we are looking for another 10 reviews from our sponsors, volunteers and troops who have received Troopathon care packages.

"We're excited to be named a Top-Rated 2025 Nonprofit," said Scott Raab, Director of Operations for Troopathon. "For an amazing 12 years in a row we have been named a top charity supporting our troops. We work hard to make sure our supporters know we appreciate their support. Without them, nothing Troopathon does would be possible. The gift of a care package is so much more than just the goodies and most requested items we send; it's also the comforts of home to warriors that serve so far away overseas in often dangerous and primitive conditions. Our warriors need to know we have their backs."

Let’s keep the positive vibes flowing as we continue our mission. To see all of our amazing reviews or to leave a review at Great Nonprofits simply log in through your Facebook or follow this link to GreatNonprofits.

GreatNonprofits is the leading site for donors and volunteers to find reviews and ratings of nonprofits. Reviews on the site influence thirty million donation decisions a year. Visit www.greatnonprofits.org for more information. GreatNonprofits is the #1 place for people to share remarkable stories of the amazing work done by nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards program started in 2010, and it is now widely known as the most influential "people's choice" awards for outstanding nonprofits, large and small.

Our goal is supporting our troops and making Troopathon a truly memorable experience for our brave service members serving far from home. We want our troops to know when they receive their very own exceptional care package stuffed to the brim with great treats, personal care items and more that we remember them and honor their sacrifices. As always, we finish off each care package with a personalized message of support from YOU, our supporters. Thanks to GreatNonprofits, our supporters can feel confident that our mission continues to deliver to the best of our abilities and from start to finish we are all in for our troops.

Bayside Church of Galt Steps up to Support

Troopathon once again welcomed Bayside Church of Galt as part of our Support and Pray initiative. Thanks to Bayside volunteers we were able to prep and ship out hundreds of care packages filled with the items from home our troops crave most like socks, gourmet coffee, cookies, beef jerky, and personal care item.

“Our core values are teach wide, reach deep and unleash compassion, and that’s exactly what we are doing here by helping out Troopathon,” stated Bayside Covenant Church of Galt pastor during their recent Troopathon packing party.

Our collaboration with Bayside Covenant Church of Galt stretches out over more than seven years and we can always count on them to pitch in and do the hard work necessary to get our care packages out the door.

Dan Lane, an active Bayside volunteer program coordinator helps coordinate Troopathon’s efforts with Bayside. Dan, a USMC veteran served during the late 60’s and early 70’s and deployed to Vietnam as a military policeman. Dan knows first-hand what it is like to deploy and what it feels like to receive a care package from home. “I was the recipient of a care package, and it was like seventh heaven!” exclaimed Dan. When I found out what Troopathon does I was all in.” Dan continued, “I remember vividly how I felt when I got a care package from home. “Immediately I felt like I was back home, it sure was a wonderful feeling. I want to see that we express that to as many people as possible and of course, I was a hit among all my guys,” chuckled Dan. “Everybody I’ve ever met; they share that box instantly with everyone around us.”

Bayside members love working with Troopathon, “Through this effort we’ve got people involved who are not connected to military veterans, who have never served themselves, but they jump on board. Now it’s exciting for them this feeling of helping in a way that they just didn’t know they could do. I just encourage every civic group and church group to get involved in such a rewarding program,” concluded Dan.

Smiles From The Frontlines

*Crew members from the USS George Washington showing us some love.*

One of the most rewarding parts of what we do at Troopathon is hearing back from the troops after they receive their care packages. Every so often, we’re lucky enough to get special messages, photos, and notes filled with gratitude—and we absolutely love it. Seeing their smiles, hearing how much a simple package means, and knowing it brought a little piece of home to their day is incredibly uplifting. Those moments remind us why this mission matters so much, and they fill our entire team with excitement and pride every single time they come in.