PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- In the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, in the same
exhibit hall with Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and the Wright
Brothers' 1903 flyer, under a case of protective glass, stands a massive silver
cup, lined in gold, atop a three-tiered mahogany pedestal.
The pedestal
is adorned with dozens of small, silver medallions inscribed with the names of
U.S. Air Force Airmen in recognition of their surpassing acts of valor, bravery
and patriotism--names like Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, pioneer of
supersonic flight; World War I ace fighter pilot Capt. Edward "Eddie"
Rickenbacker; and Lt. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, who planned and led the
pivotal, maiden air attack on Japan during World War II, among many
others.
Since 1912, the Mackay Trophy has been given annually in honor of
the most meritorious flight of the year by an Air Force Airman, Airmen or
organization. It is the oldest and most esteemed award of its kind in Air Force
history.
And in November, the names of three 920th Rescue Wing
pararescuemen, along with twelve Airmen from the 8th Special Operations Squadron
at Hurlburt Field, Florida, were added to the Mackay Trophy in recognition of
their actions during a mission that took place Dec. 21, 2013 in South
Sudan.
Tech. Sgt. Jason D. Broline, Tech. Sgt. Daniel C. Warren and Staff
Sgt. Lee R. Von Hack-Prestinary were part of the crews of Rooster 73, 74 and
75--three CV-22 Ospreys sent by the U.S. State Department to evacuate the
American Embassy and other U.S. citizens from in and around the town of Bor in
South Sudan, which was quickly destabilizing into civil war.
Upon
reaching a U.N. airfield at Bor, all three aircraft took heavy surface-to-air
fire. Four Rooster 73 crewmembers were critically wounded during the attack, and
all three Ospreys sustained major damage. Yet the nearest location from which to
safely meet medical support aircraft was at the Ugandan coastal city of
Entebbe--roughly 450 miles due south of Bor.
The aircraft had been badly
damaged. According to the battle damage assessment performed by flight crews
following the attack, the Ospreys had sustained, "...flight control failures,
hydraulic failures and punctured fuel tanks resulting in massive uncontrollable
fuel leaks, and damage to multiple essential structural components."
It
would be an incredible achievement for the aircrews just to keep the crippled
planes flying. But it would be another thing entirely to make it to Entebbe in
time to save the lives of the wounded crewmembers, who were deteriorating
quickly.
To make things worse, the wounded were onboard Rooster 73, and
the 920th pararescuemen were on Rooster 74, with no possibility of landing until
Entebbe.
Cut off from the wounded but determined to help, Broline, Warren
and Von Hack-Prestinary began looking for unconventional methods. What they
found was an ingenious solution that resulted in every single crewmember
returning home alive.
Their solution: a "flying blood bank."
Time
would be critical, they reasoned, once they finally touched down in Entebbe. The
wounded needed blood desperately, and any delay could result in death for any or
all of them.
So, the reservists got on the radio and retrieved the blood
types of the wounded troops, after which they began drawing blood from matching
healthy aircrew members.
As a result, they were able to transfuse fresh,
lifesaving blood to the wounded mere moments after touching down at the medical
rendezvous point at Entebbe.
At the ceremony honoring this year's Mackay
Trophy recipients, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III praised the
aircrew members of Rooster 73, 74 and 75, and spoke of the impact of their
actions upon the Air Force in full.
"Their dedication to duty,
professionalism, bravery, courage and airmanship was on display during the
aerial flight supporting a non-combatant evacuation order in the vicinity of
Bor, South Sudan," said General Welsh. "The distinctive accomplishments of
Rooster 73 Flight reflect greatly on the caliber of our United States Air Force
Airmen."
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)