Three Air Force Special Tactics combat controllers received the Air Force Cross and two Silver Stars Wednesday for valor in the face of extreme danger during an operation in Afghanistan last fall, according to the official United States Air Force website.

Senior Airmen Dustin T. Temple was presented just the seventh Air Force Cross since 9/11 by Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command.

Tech Sgt. Matthew J. Greiner and Senior Airman Goodie J. Goodman were also presented with the Silver Star by Heithold — just the 31st and 32nd such medals awarded since 9/11.

“You are the guardians who run toward the sound of the guns and not away from them,” said Heithold. “Your bravery, your intensity and your pure guts…you epitomize what being an Air Commando is all about.

“Not everyone deserves to be called a hero…you do,” added Heithold.

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This is only the second battle in U.S. Air Force history resulting in an Air Force Cross and multiple Silver Star medals in the last fifteen years.

 

On Sept. 27, 2014, the three Special Tactics combat controllers were embedded with a U.S. Special Forces team in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when their team infiltrated a well-known enemy staging point by helicopter.

 

Their mission was to disrupt insurgent operations, including drug and weapons cache, and enemy command and control. Their unit came under heavy machine-gun, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire from approximately 100 insurgents.

 

The combat controllers acted on instinct and training and immediately assessed the situation before jumping to action.

 

“It was unlike anything I could have ever imagined…unlike anything you can prepare yourself for,” said Temple. “It all came back to training for me at that point. I remember thinking back to those days in training that were really tough, and now I realize they were preparing me for something like this.”

 

A teammate, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Andrew Weathers, was gravely wounded by a sniper, and Temple put himself in the direct line of fire to drag his wounded teammate from a rooftop. At this same time, Goodman was under a barrage of machine-gun fire, with bullets narrowly missing his head by inches, according to the award citation. Still, Goodman secured his rooftop position in order to repel the insurgent force with close air support and his personal weapon.

 

With friendly forces taking fire from within 200 meters, Greiner and Goodman began coordinating multiple close air support strikes from AH-64 Apache attack helicopters on the closest threats while simultaneously coordinating danger-close mortar fire on enemy forces 300 meters away.

 

With a medical evacuation helicopter inbound, Temple once again risked his own life, carrying his wounded teammate across 100 meters of open terrain to a landing zone.

 

As overwhelming and accurate enemy machine gun fire suppressed Temple and his team, he remained on the open landing zone providing cover fire while his teammates pulled back.

 

After he returned to the compound, enemy fighters surged within 40 meters after intercepted communications stated, “Take the Americans alive.” Temple immediately directed danger-close F-16 Fighting Falcon strafing runs to repel the assault.

 

As the supplies dwindled during the 48-hour firefight, Temple braved open terrain several times to retrieve critical ammunition from a resupply helicopter. At the same time, Greiner coordinated precision airstrikes to cover Temple and the other Special Forces team members.

 

“These Airmen are much of the reason I am standing here today,” said U.S. Army Capt. Evan Lacenski, Special Forces team leader for the combat controllers while deployed. “They were faced with one of the most significant battles of Operation Enduring Freedom, in my opinion, and they acted professionally, valorously, flawlessly and executed the mission. I couldn’t ask for a better group of Airmen.”

 

The men are credited with saving the lives of 21 U.S. Special Operations forces and approximately 60 Afghanistan commandos.