--- title: "Four airmen receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for Kabul evacuation actions" description: "The crew of a C-17A dealt with several mid-air emergencies to safely get hundreds of evacuees out of Afghanistan." date: "2026-09-26" modified: "2026-09-26" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/afghan-evacuation-airlift-distinguished-flying-cross/" categories: - "Afghanistan" - "Afghanistan War" - "Air Force" - "Around the World" - "History" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "Past Conflicts" tags: - "adsafety" --- # Four airmen receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for Kabul evacuation actions ![Featured Art: Maj. Gen. Melissa Coburn, left, Director of Air Force Reserve Personnel, poses for a photo with 911th Airlift Wing senior leaders and Steel Airmen who received the Distinguished Flying Cross during an awards ceremony at Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, Sept. 12, 2026. The four Airmen earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, which recognizes heroism or extraordinary achievement during aerial flight, for their actions during a recent deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Laura Hessen) ]() *Four airmen with the 911th Airlift Wing received Distinguished Flying Crosses for their roles in the withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Laura Hessen.* The crew of a C-17A cargo plane received Distinguished Flying Crosses this month for their actions during the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021. Four airmen from the 758th Airlift Squadron, 911th Airlift Wing were presented with the award, given for heroism or extraordinary achievement during aerial flight on Sept. 12. The recipients are: Lt. Col. Eric Miller, 911th Operations Group pilot; Maj. Jason Mileham, 911th Operations Support Squadron operations chief; Master Sgt. Tyler Painter, operations superintendent; and Tech. Sgt. Steven Strobel, 758th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. Five years ago they took part in Operation Allies Refuge, where the U.S. military worked to [ferry evacuees]() out of Afghanistan as the U.S.-backed government fell and the Taliban quickly seized control of the country. The Distinguished Flying Crosses were given specifically for their actions operating at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 27, 2021. It was a tense situation. A day prior, an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked one of the airport’s gates, [killing]() 11 U.S. Marines, a Navy corpsman and an Army special operations soldier, alongside hundreds of Afghans. But flights continued and thousands were still at the airport, trying to get out of the country. The C-17A from the 911th Airlift Wing was one of the planes coming in to help with the evacuation. “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,” the citation reads. “Displaying outstanding poise and demeanor under immense pressure, they executed a complex, tactical nighttime departure through mountainous terrain.” Challenges continued even once airborne. One evacuee had been shot. The crew stabilized the wounded person and also prevented a “potential riot” on the cargo deck. And then in-flight satellite communications failed and a planned aerial refueling never happened. The aircrew made a “decisive emergency divert” to Kuwait, landing the C-17A at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Meanwhile, 10 airmen with the wing received Bronze Star medals at the same event on Sept. 12. The individual awards came a year after a deployed element of the wing was part of an expeditionary unit that received the [Gallant Unit Citation]() while overseas. The 10 Bronze Star recipients are: 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; and Master Sgt. Shealyn Brown. The Gallant Unit Citation is one of the highest awards for a unit, roughly equivalent to the Silver Star. It is the second-highest Air Force unit award and is presented for "extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States." According to the citation for the unit award, the members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing “provided vital refueling and staging for offensive strikes that facilitated coalition operations via ISR, close air support, and armed overwatch for operations Rough Rider, Spartan Shield, and Inherent Resolve,” which saw operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. While there, the expeditionary wing, 911th Airlift Wing personnel among them, handled 72% of cargo and personnel moving in and out of the area. The wider expeditionary force also took part in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 attack on Iranian nuclear sites and the subsequent ballistic missile and drone attack on U.S. positions. ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()