Staff Sergeant Brandon Hill
Flight Engineer, 33rd Rescue Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan

In October 2010, Staff Sergeant BRANDON HILL deployed to Afghanistan for the second time in six months. Sergeant Hill and his crew, call sign Pedro 83, flew personnel recovery and casualty evacuation missions in HH-60G Pave Hawk aircraft. In mid-November, Pedro 83 and its wingman, Pedro 84, pre-positioned in the Konar River valley to decrease reaction time. This move would prove to be a lifesaver.

On November 14, shortly after pre-positioning, Pedro 83 launched on a mass casualty evacuation mission near the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. The crew determined there were 11 wounded in intense fighting. Hostile rocket-propelled grenade and machine gun fire currently prevented evacuation of the wounded.

Trapped by steep rocky terrain and enemy fire, the ground forces faced ammunition shortages and mounting causalities. As Pedro 83 attempted to find a safe landing zone, the crew received more bad news: their primary refueling point had contaminated fuel. The mission was now a race against the clock.

Despite continued small arms and RPG fire, Pedro 83 committed to a landing. Sergeant Hill hoisted down the combat rescue officer and pararescueman, also known as PJs, to assess the casualty and tactical situation on the ground. RPGs exploded close by as the men worked.

For the next two hours Pedro 83 and Pedro 84 tirelessly rotated to refuel and rearm, airdropped quick-release water and ammunition to ground forces and coordinated airstrikes with nearby aircraft. Sergeant Hill provided suppressive fire after each supply run, protecting the PJs and casualties, as the crew dropped the critical supplies.

After four hours, Pedro 83 and 84 inserted additional PJs and extracted the remaining wounded. Sergeant Hill conducted two more hoists, both under fire, to extract three critically wounded patients.

Sergeant Hill and his teammates helped save the lives of seven wounded soldiers and returned four fallen warriors with honor. For his heroism, Sergeant Hill was nominated for a Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor.