Four members of a C-17A crew from the 758th Airlift Squadron, 911th Airlift Wing received Distinguished Flying Crosses on Sept. 12 for actions during the Aug. 27, 2021 Kabul evacuation. The citation credits the crew with loading 450 Afghan evacuees under threat of small-arms fire and surface-to-air missiles, stabilizing a gunshot-wounded passenger and diverting to Ali Al Salem Air Base after communications and refueling failures. At the same ceremony, 10 wing members received Bronze Stars and a deployed wing element had earlier earned the Gallant Unit Citation for operations across Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
C-17A Crew Awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses After Evacuating 450 Afghans Under Fire
Four airmen with the 911th Airlift Wing received Distinguished Flying Crosses for their roles in the withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Four airmen from the 758th Airlift Squadron, 911th Airlift Wing were presented the Distinguished Flying Cross on Sept. 12 for extraordinary actions during the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan on Aug. 27, 2021. The honorees—Lt. Col. Eric Miller (pilot), Maj. Jason Mileham (operations chief), Master Sgt. Tyler Painter (operations superintendent) and Tech. Sgt. Steven Strobel (loadmaster)—were part of a C-17A crew that flew into Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport amid extreme danger.
The airport environment was volatile: a day earlier an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked a terminal gate, killing 11 U.S. Marines, a Navy corpsman and an Army special operations soldier, and injuring many Afghan civilians. Thousands of people remained at the airfield seeking evacuation, and flights continued despite credible threats.
Award Citation:
'Navigating an extremely hazardous night airspace under the threat of small arms fire and surface-to-air missiles, the crew reached the stricken airfield. Confronted with an unstable security situation on the ground and credible suicide-bomber threats, the crew improvised defensive security measures to on-load four hundred and fifty Afghan allies... Displaying outstanding poise and demeanor under immense pressure, they executed a complex, tactical nighttime departure through mountainous terrain.'
The citation credits the crew with loading 450 Afghan evacuees while exposed to small-arms fire and missile threats. After takeoff the team stabilized a gunshot-wounded passenger and quelled a potential disturbance on the cargo deck. Compounding the emergency, in-flight satellite communications failed and a planned aerial refueling did not occur; the crew executed a decisive emergency divert to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and landed safely.
At the same Sept. 12 ceremony, 10 members of the wing received Bronze Star medals. The public release named nine of those recipients:
- Lt. Col. Bennett Reid
- Lt. Col. Andrew Williams
- Maj. Nicholas Hoth
- Chief Master Sgt. Justin Hovancik
- Senior Master Sgt. Domenic Mash
- Master Sgt. Michael Claar
- Master Sgt. Dennis Saltzman
- Master Sgt. Hunter Stom
- Master Sgt. Shealyn Brown
One additional Bronze Star recipient was reported but not named in the release.
Context — Gallant Unit Citation and Theater Operations
A deployed element of the wing was part of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing that received the Gallant Unit Citation, the Air Force's second-highest unit award, for "extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States." According to the unit citation, the wing provided critical refueling and staging that enabled offensive strikes and coalition operations—through ISR, close air support and armed overwatch—during operations Rough Rider, Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve across Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
While deployed, personnel from the expeditionary wing, including members of the 911th Airlift Wing, handled roughly 72% of cargo and personnel movements into and out of the theater. The wider expeditionary force was also involved in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and the subsequent ballistic missile and drone attacks on U.S. positions.
Significance
The Distinguished Flying Crosses recognize decisive, disciplined action under extreme pressure: flying into a contested airfield, rapidly loading hundreds of evacuees, stabilizing casualties and safely diverting a disabled aircraft. The awards and unit citations underscore the continued role of Air Force airlift and expeditionary units in high-risk contingency operations.
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