by Staff Sgt. Eric Donner
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
11/9/2011 - ARLINGTON, Va. -- Four Airmen were presented the Mackay Trophy by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and National Aeronautic Association Chairman Walter Boyne during a ceremony in Arlington ,Va., Nov. 7.
Retired Lt. Col. Donald Cornwell, Lt. Col. Dylan Wells, Capt. Leigh Larkin and Capt. Nicholas Tsougas flew a combat mission credited with killing more than 80 Taliban insurgents and saving approximately 30 coalition troops April 6, 2010.
Known as "Dude Flight" due to their call signs of Dude-01 and Dude-02, the four F-15E Strike Eagle crewmembers were tasked to support a combined joint special operations task force clearing Bala Morgab, Afghanistan, of Taliban fighters. During the clearing mission, the task force was surrounded in an ambush by approximately 100 enemy fighters and became pinned down.
During the operation, Dude Flight performed five show-of-force flyovers that temporarily interrupted the attack. However, the attack soon continued.
A joint terminal attack controller on the ground then requested a strike on enemy positions to pin down the patrol. In all, Dude Flight deployed six joint direct attack munitions that killed more than 80 insurgents, allowing the task force to continue to clear the town of enemy insurgents.
The Mackay Trophy is awarded by the Air Force and National Aeronautic Association to Airmen or organizations for the "most meritorious flight of the year." The first Mackay Trophy, presented to 2nd Lt. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C