RELEASE NUMBER: 041001-01
DATE POSTED: OCTOBER 1, 2004
Special ops crewmen get Army award for heroic in-flight actions
By Kelly Tyler
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) Public Affairs Office
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (USASOC News Service, Oct. 1, 2004) — Two 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) crewmembers received the Army Aviation Broken Wing Award here Sept. 29.
The award was given for heroic actions taken by Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Hemp and Spc. Lucas E. Dunaway in Afghanistan in October 2002. A third award was given to Chief Warrant Officer David Gross earlier this year for the same incident.
“It is a tremendous accomplishment to give this award to Soldiers in an Army aviation MOS (military occupational specialty),” said Col. Andrew Milani, 160th SOAR regimental commander. “The award is most often presented to one member of the crew, generally the pilot in command.”
Hemp and Dunaway are credited with saving the lives of the entire crew of an MH-47E Chinook Oct. 25, 2002, when the aircraft caught fire on a routine approach in Afghanistan. Hemp smelled a burning odor on the aircraft, and suggested that the crew land as soon as possible. As the aircraft moved to land in a dusty area, the source of the fire became visible.
When the fire broke out, Hemp told the pilots that they needed to try to make it to a nearby airfield, so emergency vehicles would be able to get to them quickly and extinguish the fire. Hemp was serving as the flight engineer. Dunaway, the crew chief, is credited with leading the fire fighting actions in the aircraft cabin.
“Their quick thinking and actions saved not only the crew, but also an airframe,” Milani said. “Clearly, the people are the important part of that equation. Airframes can be replaced, but this one didn’t have to be.”
According to Army Regulation 627-74, The Army Broken Wing Award is given to air crewmembers who “through outstanding airmanship, minimize or prevent aircraft damage or injury to personnel during an emergency situation. Air crewmembers must have shown extraordinary skill while recovering an aircraft from an in-flight emergency situation.”
~