Four airmen decorated for overseas mission that saved lives

For their courage in the face of danger during Operation Allies Refuge, four airmen were honored Friday at Travis Air Force Base with the elite Distinguished Flying Cross.

As night fell on Aug. 15, 2021, an uneasy quiet blanketed the crew of a C-17 Globemaster III en route to Afghanistan.

Their arrival at Kabul International Airport revealed chaos, and dozens of Americans and allies unexpectedly requiring evacuation. In all, 153 people were brought to safety despite numerous challenges.

For their courage in the face of danger during Operation Allies Refuge, four airmen were honored Friday at Travis Air Force Base with the elite Distinguished Flying Cross. They include Lt. Col. Dominic S. Calderon, 1st Lt. Kyle Anderson and Master Sgt. Silva J. Foster with the 301st Airlift Squadron at Travis, and Senior Airman Michael Alan Geller with the 517th Airlift Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska.

Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Gonzalez-Furman, with the 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 437th Maintenance Group at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, was also recognized but will receive his medal at a later date.

Surrounded by family, friends and their military brethren, the men were celebrated for their heroism and then pinned with their medal.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, officials explained, “is awarded to any officer or enlisted person of the armed forces of the United States for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.”

The first medal was bestowed on Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh of the Army Corps Reserve in 1927 for his solo, 3,600-mile flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Amelia Earhart was the first civilian to receive the honor.

On Friday, Maj. Gen. Matthew J. Burger, deputy commander of Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, expanded on the Afghanistan mission and expressed pride in the honorees’ performance.

“They created order out of chaos. They hit the ground running,” he advised. “…They really worked together to preserve life.”

The aircraft, he continued, had insufficient fuel to handle the emergency evacuation and was unprepared for the influx of passengers. Still, the airmen persisted and got the job done.

Calderon, a pilot and C-17A Instructor Aircraft Commander, “successfully delivered 116 soldiers of the Ist Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division and its leadership to Kabul,” Burger shared. And, Calderon “steadfastly directed the loading of 153 American and allied personnel, commanding the first noncombatant evacuation of the operation as the airfield was breached.”

Calderon “taxied the aircraft, avoiding advancing crowds, preventing the aircraft from being overrun and ultimately delivering the passengers, crew and aircraft safely to their destination,” Burger related.

Anderson, a Reserve C-17A Globemaster III Copilot and Assistant Operations Officer , provided “critical input” amid “constant distractions and his actions prevented the aircraft from being overrun, protecting the evacuees aboard,” Burger said.

Meanwhile, Foster, a Reserve C-17A Globemaster III Aircraft Loadmaster, assisted “with several aircraft abnormalities,” “prepared the cargo compartment for a combat approach and landing,” prepared the cargo hold for evacuees, cleared the front of the aircraft and secured it for taxi.

Geller, an active duty C-17A Loadmaster and Unit Safety Representative, also aided in the preparations and helped all deploy safely.

Calderon said the recognition was “incredibly humbling” as the medal “is steeped in flying lore, having been awarded to some of the nation’s greatest aviators.”

The mission was eerie, he said, and “I could never shake the feeling we were on borrowed time.”

He asked much of his crew and himself, Calderon said, and praised everyone involved. Including Gonzalez-Furman, who he said “went so far above and beyond that evening. … If I had a game ball that night, I would have given it to him.”

Calderon later thanked everyone involved in the mission, emphasizing that their combined participation made it a success that saved lives.