Three U.S. Air Force Special Tactics combat controllers received multiple decorations of high valor on May 6, 2015, for a single event, the second battle in USAF history resulting in an Air Force Cross and multiple Silver Stars since 9/11. USAF photo.
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2021 USAF & USSF Almanac: Awards & Decorations
June 30, 2021
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Ribbons in order of precedence; devices; specialty berets.
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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
The 34th Fighter Squadron won the Raytheon Trophy for its air superiority performance in 2025 in two major Middle East operations and a series of responses in the Pacific. The F-35 Lightning II squadron received the honor following its role in Operation Rough Rider targeting Houthi rebel missile sites in…
Winners of the Space Force’s fourth annual, service-wide Polaris Awards had the chance to discuss the actions that led to their awards from the main stage here at AFA’s Warfare Symposium on Feb. 24, in a panel discussion moderated by Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna.
About 15 seconds separated F-16 “Wild Weasel” pilots Lt. Col. William “Skate” Parks and Maj. Michael “Danger” Blea from life or death in the night skies over Yemen.
Air Force F-16 pilot Lt. Col. Eric R. Emerson, who commanded a small quick reaction force of fighters responding to Iranian-backed militia groups in 2024, became the first Air National Guardsman presented with the Anthony C. Shine Award on Feb. 10.
The Air Force Historical Foundation has recognized two Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber wings among the winners of its 2025-2026 prestigious annual awards, selecting both for their part in Operation Midnight Hammer, the daring raid on Iran’s fortified nuclear weapons sites.
The crews of the two-ship F-15E formation that stared down the leading edge of Iran’s massive aerial assault against Israel in April 2024 were presented with the Mackay Trophy last week, further cementing their place in Air Force history.
The Air Force Historical Foundation honored a pair of storied Airmen with lifetime achievement awards at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center May 22.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.
Two dozen KC-135 crew members from multiple bases received the Distinguished Flying Cross for refueling the fighters that shot down 80 Iranian drones and missiles bound for Israel on April 13.
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