Awards
The first award of that Air Force Cross was made posthumously to Major Rudolf Anderson for extraordinary heroism during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
As of April 2008, there have been 192 awards of the Air Force Cross to 187 individuals. One award, the first made, was for actions in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Two were retroactively awarded for actions in World War II. 180 were awarded for heroism in the Vietnam War, and four for heroism during the 1975 Mayagüez Incident immediately following. Two were awarded for the 1991 Gulf War, one for the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, and two were awarded for heroism during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan in 2003. One was awarded to combat controller Zachary Rhyner for actions in the Shok Valley, Afghanistan on April 6, 2008.
50 awards have been posthumous, including 30 to members missing in action. 24 have been awarded to enlisted personnel, including 11 pararescue jumpers. 17 graduates of the United States Air Force Academy have been presented the award, and 13 were awarded for conduct while a prisoner of war.
There have been four multiple recipients:
- James H. Kasler (Three awards)
- John A. Dramesi (Two awards)
- Leland T. Kennedy (Two awards)
- Robinson Risner (Two awards)
Read more about this topic: Air Force Cross (United States)