NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Two crews assigned to the 9th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base were awarded the 2023 Brig. Gen. Ross G. Hoyt Award for service during a presidentially directed contingency operation. The award recognizes the best aerial refueling crew across the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
The MC-130J Commando II crews supported the longest U.S. Army helicopter mission to use only aerial refueling. The crew flew over ten straight hours, spanned over 1,000 miles, overcame communication and mechanical errors while facing hostile threats to deliver over 20,000 pounds of fuel during the mission.
“Our crews train extremely hard every day so when the call comes we’re ready to execute flawlessly,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Strube, 9th SOS commander in a release.
