Edward C. Byers Jr.

Edward C. Byers Jr. is a retired United States Navy Master Chief Petty Officer and a highly decorated special operations veteran. After enlisting in the Navy and serving as a hospital corpsman, Byers completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training and served 11 overseas deployments, including nine combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over a 21-year career, he rose to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer and was assigned to Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team Six, where he operated as a special operations leader.

Byers is recognized for his actions during a nighttime hostage rescue mission in eastern Afghanistan. When an American physician, Dr. Dilip Joseph, was captured by the Taliban, Byers and his team traversed challenging terrain to reach the compound where the hostages were held. As the primary breacher, Byers exposed himself to enemy fire while entering the building. Inside, he engaged multiple armed combatants and shielded Dr. Joseph with his body, ensuring the hostage's safety while subduing additional threats. For his actions, Byers received the Medal of Honor, becoming the sixth Navy SEAL and the first member of SEAL Team Six to receive the nation's highest military honor for actions as a unit member.

Byers' military decorations include the Medal of Honor, five Bronze Star Medals with valor device, two Purple Hearts, and several other commendations for valor. He has been inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame and the Pentagon Hall of Heroes. His service has been recognized with the Lone Sailor Award from the United States Navy Memorial and the Arleigh Burke Leadership Award from the Navy League of the United States.

Byers holds a Bachelor of Science in strategic studies and defense analysis from Norwich University and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Pat Tillman Scholar. He is the CEO and founder of Minerva 6 Institute, a government contracting and corporate solutions company. During his tenure at the Pentagon, Byers contributed to the In-Q-Tel Interface Center, managing budgets focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning predictive analytics, and autonomous maritime systems.

In his post-military career, Byers is a keynote speaker on topics such as leadership, military service, government, and motivation. He serves on the boards of the C4 Foundation and the Secure Our Freedom Foundation, and as an honorary advisory board member of the Navy SEAL Foundation. Byers draws on his combat experience and operational expertise to address audiences in the defense, government, and corporate sectors, offering insights on courage, leadership, and service.