The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star to TSgt. Patrick Ashford for action during his deployment to Iraq, reports The State newspaper. Ashford, who is with the 20th Security Forces Squadron at Shaw AFB, S.C., deployed for a year to Joint Base Balad in Iraq, where he aided a unit under attack, helping evacuate several airmen.
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.