The Air Force will give more than 300 awards for participation in the massive air evacuation of Americans during the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, Air Mobility Command (AMC) said in a statement Wednesday.
The service members receiving the next batch of awards helped evacuate more than 124,000 Americans and Afghan allies in the largest-ever noncombat evacuation following the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal and as the Taliban was closing in on Kabul. Awards include eight distinguished flying crosses, two bronze star medals, 229 air medals and 98 meritorious service medals across several U.S. military units, AMC said in a statement.
“It is with great humility, gratitude and honor that I have the opportunity to recognize the actions of these mobility heroes,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of AMC. “This recognition is long overdue but I hope everyone involved in this incredible operation knows our deepest appreciation for their sacrifice while saving more than 124,000 American and Afghan lives.” (RELATED: Marines, Soldiers Who Assisted Afghanistan Evacuation To Receive Highest Unit-Level Award)
Recipients include “maintainers, loadmasters, Raven-trained security forces, aeromedical evacuation personnel and pilots across the Total Force, multiple major commands and services,” AMC said in the statement.
The Air Force initially awarded 109 medals or citations in Oct. 2022 after bureaucratic hurdles prevented Air Mobility Command from evaluating and processing higher-level award recommendations, the command said in a statement at the time. More than 350 additional airmen were determined eligible at the time to receive awards related to their efforts to evacuate hundreds of thousands of American citizens from Afghanistan.
AMC will review another tranche of award recommendations in the coming days, Tuesday’s statement said.
“We continue to reveal incredible actions taken to carry out this mission and it is our duty to recognize each and every one of them,” Minihan said. “Airmen proved, once again, that they can make the impossible, possible. But, it came with great personal sacrifice and risk.”
The bronze star is the fourth highest-ranking award a servicemember can receive and is awarded to recognize extraordinary bravery and courage during combat unrelated to aerial operations, an Air Force fact sheet shows. The distinguished flying cross is given to any member of the armed forces who distinguish themselves with acts of heroism at personal risk to themselves during aerial operations, according to an Air Force fact sheet.
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – AUGUST 21: In this handout provided by the U.S. Air Force, an air crew assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron assists evacuees aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 21, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Taylor Crul/U.S. Air Force via Getty Images)
Air Mobility Command did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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