Page 51 - DFCS NEWS MAGAZINE 2020-1

GREGORY A. ROBERTS
The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (with Valor) to Lieutenant Colonel Gregory A. Roberts for heroism while participating in aerial flight as Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, Combined Air Power Transition Force 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, from 28 July 2010 to 29 July 2010, near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Over these two days, while piloting a MI-17 aircraft, Colonel Roberts and an Afghan crew and interpreter, performed hazardous rescues under constant enemy threat during severe flooding in Nangahar and Kunar provinces. With less than an hour’s notification, Colonel Roberts took command of the
operation, briefing two MI-17 crews for the emergency rescue operation. The flight departed and in less than 30 minutes, while working in mountainous terrain with low ceilings and visibility less than one mile, Colonel Roberts began moving people stranded by the flood to safety. After refueling, the crew was summoned to pick up more stranded people in Jalalabad city. By the end of the day, Colonel Roberts had saved 207 people. After an overnight stay at Jalalabad airport, the crew was summoned to Kunar province for more rescues. The people being rescued continually reported Taliban activity less than 100 meters from the aircraft. During one rescue, Colonel Roberts hovered his helicopter within 10 feet of suspension bridge wires to complete a rescue. Again, the crew worked tirelessly, stopping only for fuel and to unload the refugees in an area protected by Afghan National Police. By the end of the second day, Colonel Roberts and his crew had saved 885 people, giving him a two-day total of 1,092 rescues. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Roberts reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Rescued flood survivors in Afghanistan are off-loaded from a coalition MI-17 Russian Helicopter piloted by USAF Lt. Col. Gregory A. Roberts who would be credited with rescuing 1,092 people during 48 hours of dangerous and intense helicopter operations for which he would be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Valor. Between his and the second MI-17 piloted by USAF Lt. Col. Bernard “Jeep” Willi they saved 2,089 flood survivors becoming the largest two-ship rescue operation in U.S. Air Force history.
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