A/TQ covers - Airlift/Tanker Association

The Airlift/Tanker Association General P. K. Carlton Award for Valor is presented annually
to an individual who demonstrates courage, strength, determination, bravery
and fearlessness during a combat, contingency or humanitarian
mission during the previous calendar year.
Major Benjamin Gunn
During a low altitude, low-illumination, NVG, resupply airdrop
mission in Afghanistan’s Tarin Kowt Mountains, Major Gunn’s
aircraft was engaged by small arms fire three
miles prior to the intended drop zone. Major
Gunn’s aircraft was number two in a three ship
formation, in which the lead aircraft had fallen
back for a re-attack while the number three aircraft
remained at altitude.
During the run-in, a rapid succession of small
arms fire impacted the aircraft in multiple locations.
Major Gunn immediately executed a battle
damage assessment and performed critical action
items to fight a volley of flames spouting from a
hole in the combustion section of the port engine.
Miraculously, he was able to contain the
flames by reducing power on the affected engine,
while maintaining the required thrust to
navigate the steeply rising terrain surrounding
the aircraft. Despite grave circumstances posed
by the crippled aircraft, Major Gunn and the
crew elected to continue with the drop in support of a forward
operating base that was running precariously low on supplies.
In addition to successfully completing the critical action items
for the emergency, he performed all his airdrop checklist items
and notified the ground party and C2 via LOS and SAT of the
surface-to-air fire report. Major Gunn expertly directed the loadmaster
to support the pilots with the critical action items and
continued threat scanning while still completing their own mandatory
checklist items and preparing the cargo
compartment/airdrop bundles for the drop. To
prevent subsequent engagement against his sister
ships by the small arms, he called for an abort of
the lead aircraft’s re-attack and instructed number
three to remain safely at altitude.
These heroic and timely actions resulted in
the execution of a textbook point of impact airdrop
and no further damage to the formation.
Following the drop, he was able to maintain the
damaged engine using reduced power while he
successfully climbed out of the mountainous terrain.
During this time Major Gunn also possessed
the situational awareness to pass the ground party
and C2 elements the enemy coordinates. During
egress, he performed controllability checks,
completed all remaining emergency checklists
and expertly navigated the aircraft back to home
station where he landed without incident.
The post flight inspection of the aircraft confirmed significant damage
to the combustion section of the left engine. In addition, the inspection
revealed that a round had penetrated the cockpit. This round
not only missed the aircraft’s primary flight control cables by only a
centimeter, but also passed mere inches from Major Gunn’s head.
“…the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone,
it is to the vigilant, the active, and brave.”
–Patrick Henry
A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Fall 2012
43