Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach presented the 2025 Koren Kolligian, Jr. Trophy to Capt. Michael Cloninger, from the 90th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Operations Group, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, during a ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 8.
The Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy recognizes outstanding feats of airmanship by aircrew members who by extraordinary skill, exceptional alertness, ingenuity, or proficiency, averted accidents or minimized the seriousness of the accidents in terms of injury, loss of life, aircraft damage, or property damage. This trophy memorializes 1st Lt. Koren Kolligian Jr., an Air Force pilot declared missing in the line of duty when his T-33 aircraft disappeared off the California coast on Sep. 14, 1955.
On Sept. 18, 2024, while deployed to the United States Central Command area of responsibility, Cloninger was flying as number two in a four-ship formation conducting a memorial flyover to celebrate the Battle of Britain anniversary. Immediately after takeoff, his F-22's right main wheel assembly departed the aircraft.
Cloninger and his flight lead discontinued the mission and maintained close proximity to the airfield to assess the situation. After rejoining, he assumed navigation and communication lead, slowed below gear speed to access the situation, lowered the gear, and his flight lead confirmed the entire right main wheel assembly was missing.
Faced with no established written procedure for this scenario, he employed crew resource management to select the “landing with gear up” checklist, precluding an asymmetric gear landing and eliminating risk of total aircraft loss and pilot injury or death. While coordinating with the tower, crash response, and operations supervisor, he flew for an hour to burn excess fuel and flew a low approach using the emergency alternate flap flight control setting. He executed a calculated on-speed shallow approach and precise centerline touchdown which prevented a post-landing fire, then immediately shut down both engines and performed a textbook emergency egress to ensure safe recovery.
His quick thinking and daring actions minimized the seriousness of the mishap, enabling the aircraft to be flown out of theater after diagnostics, an unprecedented recovery for a belly-landed F-22. His superior piloting and decision-making saved the Air Force a $156-million-dollar asset and the priceless life of an aviator.
“Wax [Capt. Michael Cloninger], today we recognize your extraordinary airmanship,” said Wilsbach. “You faced an emergency you could not see with no warning from your aircraft, while carrying a full combat load thousands of miles from home. You remained disciplined. You trusted your training, listened to your teammates, and made sound decisions. When it was time to land, you flew the aircraft all the way through the emergency. That is what we expect from American Airmen. We don’t expect them to predict every failure or control every circumstance. We expect them to be ready, know their jobs, make good decisions, trust their teammates, and adapt when the situation changes. You did all of that.”
Cloninger credited his survival and the safe recovery to the seamless coordination with his wingmen and support personnel on the ground.
“Without my teammates assisting with communication and walking through the checklists, I truly believe I wouldn't be standing here today,” said Cloninger. “I owe more than this award to them—this recognition is a testament to the teamwork that helped us successfully manage the emergency.”
This award is the Air Force’s most prestigious flight safety award, and the only one presented by the chief of staff.