Edwards AFB News

AFOTEC Detachment 5 pilot receives Air Force Combat Action Medal

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Paul G. Williams
  • Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 5
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  An Edwards C-130 Hercules instructor pilot received an Air Force Combat Action Medal March 20 at Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 5 here. 

Maj. Thomas S. Lankford, AFOTEC Det. 5 assistant director of Operations, was presented the medal by Col. David M. Cohen, the detachment commander.

Major Lankford was selected for this award in recognition for his actions on Feb. 16, 2003, while deployed to Kyrgyzstan. The Secretary of the Air Force established the Air Force Combat Action Medal to recognize any Airmen in the rank of airman basic through colonel, who actively participated in air or ground combat.

"I'm deeply humbled to receive this award," Major Lankford said. "I have seen Airmen do incredible things for their country in combat situations. Many Airmen are undertaking roles and missions that just few years ago, none would have ever imagined."

Major Lankford was the pilot of a C-130H1 Hercules, assigned to the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, the day he was called to fly a combat support mission to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. 

According to Major Lankford, the mission got really "dicey," approximately two miles from the departure end of the runway, just 600 feet in the air at Bagram, as his aircraft and crew came under small arms fire from an enemy encampment of suspected Taliban fighters.

"It was only a minute or two into the last leg of our mission that day," Major Lankford said. "With direct input from my crew, I was able to successfully maneuver the Hercules out of danger, once at altitude, we returned to Manas." 

He said his co-pilot, Maj. Christopher Raymond, and 2nd Lt. Joseph Krota first picked up the threat and alerted Major Lankford of the impending danger. 

"I immediately initiated a steep climb out of harm's way, requested a vector for departure and headed back to Manas," the major said. "It was our Air Force training that paid off that day. Thanks to the swift actions of my crew, we avoided danger and completed our mission successfully."

This should serve as a reminder to Edwards Airmen to focus their attention on training for the challenges that await them, he said. 

"I think the creation of this medal has done a great deed in recognizing Airmen at all levels throughout the Air Force, regardless of their role in operations in combat," Major Lankford said.

Major Lankford's wife, Capt. Breanna Lankford, with the Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron Detachment 3, and the men and women of Detachment 5 were on hand for the presentation of the medal by Colonel Cohen.

"Major Lankford is truly deserving of this award," said Colonel Cohen. "We are very lucky to have talented, combat seasoned pilots like Major Lankford testing for us here at Det. 5. Major Lankford's combat experiences add to the relevance of our operational test events that we conduct around the world. His experience validates his Air Force training and magnifies the integrity and trust embodied in our aviators around the world."