Combat Controller Awarded AF Cross
March 11, 2009
Fayetteville (NC) Observer
Shot through the leg in the opening minutes of a 6 hour firefight, Staff Sgt. Zachary J. Rhyner kept his focus and called in the airstrikes that kept his pinned-down unit from being overrun by insurgents in the mountains of Afghanistan.
The combat controller trained for covert missions was the center of attention Tuesday when he received the Air Force's second-highest award for valor. Rhyner is only the third Airman to receive the Air Force Cross since 2001.
In a ceremony at Pope Air Force Base, Michael B. Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, pinned the Air Force Cross to Rhyner's chest. Then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz tagged him with a purple heart for his injury in combat. Rhyner received a standing ovation from 1,100 fellow airmen.
On April 6, 2008, during his first deployment to Afghanistan, Rhyner jumped into the Shok Valley with about 100 Special Forces and Afghan soldiers. As they began to climb from the valley into the village where they hoped to capture some high-value targets, they met an ambush from about 200 insurgents.
At a disadvantage because they were trapped in a valley, the team began to pull back to find cover. Rhyner's job was to call in air support to destroy the enemy. Rhyner controlled more than 50 attack runs, according to the Air Force, with many of the strikes within 100 meters of his position. The attacks were considered danger-close because the bombs could have injured friendly forces. On the final attack run, Rhyner called in a 2,000-pound bomb.
"That explosion went off, and you literally couldn't see 2inches in front of your face because of the dust and debris," Rhyner said after Tuesday's ceremony.
He said the most intense part of the battle was at times being unable to tell exactly where the firing was coming from.
More than half of the Americans there that day were wounded, but none of them were killed. The Air Force estimates 40 enemy fighters were killed and 100 were wounded.
Members of A-Team 3336 from Fort Bragg's 3rd Special Forces Group previously received 10 Silver Stars for their actions during the battle.
Rhyner is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command's 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope. At the time of the battle, Rhyner was a senior airman who had completed training less than a year earlier.
The 22-year-old Airman said he doesn't consider himself a hero. It was a team effort, he said. And the heroes, he said, are men and women who die serving their country.
Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, said it's almost impossible to imagine the battle in Shok Valley.
"If you saw it in a movie, you'd shake your head and say, 'That didn't happen,' " Schwartz said. "We could not be more proud of all that they do. It's hard not to stand in awe."
He said Rhyner will forever be a perfect example of a "teammate, Airman, warrior."
Of the three airmen who have received the Air Force Cross since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the two previous recipients died in combat. The cross, given for "extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States," has been given to 192 other airmen since World War II.
Combat Controller Awarded AF Cross
*Combat controllers provide a unique capability and typically train and deploy with joint air and ground forces such as Army Rangers, Special Forces and Navy SEALs in the execution of direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, reconnaissance and combat search and rescue operations. These elite special tactics teams are typically the first military units deployed to international "hot" spots.
Their motto, "First There," reaffirms the combat controller's commitment to undertaking the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines by leading the way for other forces to follow.
Hopefuly it's not a re-post.
March 11, 2009
Fayetteville (NC) Observer
Shot through the leg in the opening minutes of a 6 hour firefight, Staff Sgt. Zachary J. Rhyner kept his focus and called in the airstrikes that kept his pinned-down unit from being overrun by insurgents in the mountains of Afghanistan.
The combat controller trained for covert missions was the center of attention Tuesday when he received the Air Force's second-highest award for valor. Rhyner is only the third Airman to receive the Air Force Cross since 2001.
In a ceremony at Pope Air Force Base, Michael B. Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, pinned the Air Force Cross to Rhyner's chest. Then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz tagged him with a purple heart for his injury in combat. Rhyner received a standing ovation from 1,100 fellow airmen.
On April 6, 2008, during his first deployment to Afghanistan, Rhyner jumped into the Shok Valley with about 100 Special Forces and Afghan soldiers. As they began to climb from the valley into the village where they hoped to capture some high-value targets, they met an ambush from about 200 insurgents.
At a disadvantage because they were trapped in a valley, the team began to pull back to find cover. Rhyner's job was to call in air support to destroy the enemy. Rhyner controlled more than 50 attack runs, according to the Air Force, with many of the strikes within 100 meters of his position. The attacks were considered danger-close because the bombs could have injured friendly forces. On the final attack run, Rhyner called in a 2,000-pound bomb.
"That explosion went off, and you literally couldn't see 2inches in front of your face because of the dust and debris," Rhyner said after Tuesday's ceremony.
He said the most intense part of the battle was at times being unable to tell exactly where the firing was coming from.
More than half of the Americans there that day were wounded, but none of them were killed. The Air Force estimates 40 enemy fighters were killed and 100 were wounded.
Members of A-Team 3336 from Fort Bragg's 3rd Special Forces Group previously received 10 Silver Stars for their actions during the battle.
Rhyner is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command's 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope. At the time of the battle, Rhyner was a senior airman who had completed training less than a year earlier.
The 22-year-old Airman said he doesn't consider himself a hero. It was a team effort, he said. And the heroes, he said, are men and women who die serving their country.
Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, said it's almost impossible to imagine the battle in Shok Valley.
"If you saw it in a movie, you'd shake your head and say, 'That didn't happen,' " Schwartz said. "We could not be more proud of all that they do. It's hard not to stand in awe."
He said Rhyner will forever be a perfect example of a "teammate, Airman, warrior."
Of the three airmen who have received the Air Force Cross since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the two previous recipients died in combat. The cross, given for "extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States," has been given to 192 other airmen since World War II.
Combat Controller Awarded AF Cross
*Combat controllers provide a unique capability and typically train and deploy with joint air and ground forces such as Army Rangers, Special Forces and Navy SEALs in the execution of direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, reconnaissance and combat search and rescue operations. These elite special tactics teams are typically the first military units deployed to international "hot" spots.
Their motto, "First There," reaffirms the combat controller's commitment to undertaking the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines by leading the way for other forces to follow.
Hopefuly it's not a re-post.
