Pilots Awarded Air Medal for Valor

June 11th, 2008 · No Comments· 121 views

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Lynn is awarded the Air Medal for valor, as well as an Air Medal for service, by Lt. Col. Paul Marnon

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Lynn, Co. B, 1-3rd Aviation Regiment, is awarded the Air Medal for valor, as well as an Air Medal for service, by Lt. Col. Paul Marnon, commander of 1-3rd Avn. Regt., during a ceremony June 5 at Baghdad International Airport. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Mills)

Two pilots with Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division were awarded the Air Medal for valor for their actions during an engagement with an enemy anti-aircraft machine gun team.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Lynn, Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, and 1st Lt. Ryan Murphy, also with Company B, were investigating a suspicious vehicle during a security mission south of Baghdad Sept. 6, when their aircraft was hit by small-arms fire from insurgents. Lynn noticed muzzle flashes from a heavy caliber AA machine gun manned by two enemy fighters.

Lynn and Murphy faced down the heavy-caliber weapon as it fired at them and another AH-64 Apache. Murphy fired the attack helicopter’s 30 mm cannon, killing the two enemy gunners.

The pilots then destroyed the AA gun with a Hellfire missile.

Both pilots were also awarded Air Medals for their service during their deployment to Iraq, which began in May 2007.

Lt. Col. Paul Marnon pins the Air Medal for valor on the chest of 1st Lt. Ryan Murphy

Lt. Col. Paul Marnon, commander of 1-3rd Aviation Regiment, pins the Air Medal for valor on the chest of 1st Lt. Ryan Murphy, platoon leader, Co. B, 1-3rd Avn. Regt. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Mills)

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