Air Force Col. Chris Barnett and Maj. John Creel Receive Multiple Awards
Air
Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented two Distinguished Flying
Cross with Valor medals and the Bronze Star to Col. Christopher Barnett (left),
and two Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor medals to Maj. John Creel (right)
during a ceremony in the Pentagon on May 18, 2012.
Both officers received the
medals for two separate battles in Afghanistan. On April 4, 2009, Barnett and
Creel flew their HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter through multiple fire fights and a
blinding sandstorm to save the lives of more than 40 Special Forces Soldiers and
an Afghan National Army member near Kajaki, Afghanistan.
Several missions later,
Barnett and Creel were faced with similar circumstances near Marjeh,
Afghanistan, on May 19, 2009, when they flew into a Taliban stronghold three
times to rescue injured Soldiers while also working with air controllers on the
ground to eliminate enemy positions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Air
Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented two Distinguished Flying
Cross with Valor medals and the Bronze Star to Col. Christopher Barnett (left),
and two Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor medals to Maj. John Creel (right)
during a ceremony in the Pentagon on May 18, 2012.
