Photo By Staff Sgt. Terrence Clyburn | 105th Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster III aircrew members of mission Reach 824 receive...... read more read more
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NEWBURGH, N.Y. -- 105th Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster III aircrew members of mission Reach 824 received awards of valor at Stewart Air National Guard Base, June 4, 2022.
The ceremony was presided by Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, Director of the Air National Guard, and featured distinguished guests Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Congressman Sean Maloney, United States Representative from New York.
The crew members, all drill status guardsmen, were recognized for their heroism during Operation Allies Refuge on Aug. 16, 2021.
The operation was “designed to airlift Afghan civilians, particularly interpreters, U.S. embassy employees, and other citizens who had served alongside the U.S. and her allies,” Loh said. “The [Reach 824] mission was retrieving cargo and a special military unit tasked with rescuing U.S. assets and personnel.”
The mission included airlifting a special operations aviation regiment MH-47 Chinook and 22 personnel from al Dhafra Air Base, then offloading 22 personnel and 83,000 pounds of vital cargo in an unprecedented forty minutes.
The crew also experienced contingency airborne refueling, radio maintenance issues that would prevent communication, small arms ground fire and battle damage to the aircraft.
Capt. Matthew McChesney, Assistant Flight Commander and Instructor Pilot at the 137th Airlift Squadron, served as the aircrew commander for the mission and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for his skill and devotion to duty.
The remaining crew members, Lt. Col. Andrew Townsend, Capt. Jonathan Guagenti, Tech. Sgt. Joseph Caponi IV, Staff Sgt. Evan Imbriglio, and Staff Sgt. Corey Berke, each received the Air Medal with Valor for their dedication to service against hostile forces.
Technical Sgt. Byron Catu, Flying Crew Chief of Reach 824, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal May 15, and the Commander Support Staff (CSS) and Current Ops offices were recognized by Loh in a coin ceremony June 4 for their efforts during the Kabul Airlift.
The Reach 824 crew also conducted a discussion panel to discuss the mission’s details and members’ personal experiences.
“It was an emotional moment to take off,” Townsend explained at the panel. “We realized what was happening and the significance of what was happening.”
While the crew heavily relied on each other, they also sought support from their families back home.
“I think one of the most difficult situations is being half a world away and only being able to get
current information from the news on television,” said McChesney. “But the support [we] had back home allowed us to accomplish everything we did.”
Being part time guardsmen, the crew’s missions also impact their civilian careers. Some of their employers include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, the NYPD, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and IBM.
“Delta Air Lines is proud to support the men and women serving in the National Guard,” said Patrick Burns, Vice President of Flight Operations and System Chief Pilot for Delta. “We were honored to witness the awarding of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor to one of our own and grateful for the service of all of our employees in the Guard and Reserves.”
The Guard heavily relies on their Airmen to “answer the call”, and this mission called for sacrifices, not only from the crew, but their families and civilian employers as well.
“I’d like to receive this award in honor of the entire crew, the mission of Reach 824, and everything else we accomplished over those two weeks,” McChesney stated at the ceremony. “I truly cannot express how much of a crew and team effort this was and how much credit these guys deserve.”
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2022 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 422222 |
| Location: | NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 430 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Aircrew Receives Medals with Valor After Kabul Evacuation, by SSgt Rebekah Wilson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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