The DFC ceremony was the most important of its type in a long time, and important to the 701st Airlift Squadron Airmen was their function within the start of a child lady throughout one of many
evacuation missions and having Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of Air Force Reserve and commander Air Force Reserve Command, current on the ceremony.
According to Healy, emotional {and professional} maturity are the distinctive traits for Reserve Citizen Airmen to be ‘Ready Now’ and ‘Transforming to the Future.’
“Emotional and professional maturity are key for our Airmen to be able to interact together and carry out our missions regardless of any limitations,” mentioned Healy.
“Ready now is meaning today,” he continued. “You could transpose today, right now, all the way back to when they got that call and we had four crews moving within 24 hours. They are Reserve Citizen Airmen standing up saying this is my job, I want to do this, I want to go help, and that’s only possible because our Reserve Airmen are ready to fight and carry out the National Defense Strategy and get to the defense of the United States.”
Col. John Robinson, 315 AW commander, was in attendance and mentioned he’s pleased with the Airmen who acquired the DFC.
“We are proud of you, congratulations, you do a great job every day and you got recognized for your efforts,” mentioned Robinson.
“A crew of many went in and out of the evacuation area, they exercised their skills professionally and with expertise they rescued people,” he continued. “They introduced hope to folks midway all over the world.
Emotional {and professional} maturity are key for our Airmen to have the ability to work together collectively and perform our missions no matter any limitations.
Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of Air Force Reserve and commander Air Force Reserve Command
I at all times say that’s what the American flag on our tail does, it delivers hope once they see our flag pull into an airport close by. For the individuals who want it, America brings consolation… and for the individuals who want it, America can carry conflict. That’s the fantastic thing about our plane and crew members who fly them as they’ll carry each.”
Healy summed up his message by saying the most important factor Reserve Citizen Airmen can do is to at all times signify the patch one of the best they’ll.
“To all of our Airmen here today, and all of our Airmen who participated in Operation Allies Refuge, you definitely made the Air Force Reserve Command patch proud,” he mentioned.
Operation Allies Refuge was the most important non-combatant evacuation in American historical past. Each of the DFC recipients put themselves into hurt’s technique to evacuate tens of hundreds of refugees in simply 17 days.
The DFC, approved by congress on July 2, 1926, is the fourth-highest award for extraordinary achievement and is the very best award for heroism whereas taking part in aerial flight.
Lt. Col. Trey Adams, 701 AS C-17 pilot (now retired)
Maj. David Gantt, 701 AS C-17 pilot
Capt. Dennis Connor, 701 AS C-17 pilot
Master Sgt. Leah Schmidt, 701 AS loadmaster
Tech. Sgt. Dennis Hiott, 701 AS loadmaster
Maj. Williams Cuchens, former energetic responsibility C-17 pilot and present 701 AS C-17 pilot
Capt. Leslie Green, 375th Air Expeditionary Squadron flight nurse (Green was the flight nurse who flew with the 701 AS crew and assisted in delivering the newborn)
