NY Air Guard's 105th Airlift Wing honors six with valor medals on Saturday, June 4

NEWBURGH, NEW YORK (06/03/2022) (readMedia)-- Six New York Air National Guard Airmen assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing will be recognized for their bravery and teamwork, during the August 2021 evacuation of Americans and Afghans from Kabul, during a Saturday, June 4 ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base.

Airmen from Bloomingburg, Poughkeepsie, Goshen, Carmel, , Staten Island and Liverpool will be honored.

Members of the press are invited to attend but must contact he 105th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office at 845-563-2075 for access to the base. Please RSVP as soon as possible.

Capt. Matthew McChesney, a Liverpool, New York resident, the aircrew commander of a C-17 designated by its call sign, Reach 824, will receive the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor – the nation's highest honor for heroism during aerial operations – while the other five members of the crew will receive the Air Medal with Valor.

They are being recognized for actions taken on August 16, 2021 as the United States and other allied nations moved to begin evacuating Afghan allies from Afghanistan as the Taliban took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

WHO:

• Capt Matthew McChesney, aircrew commander, Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, from Liverpool, New York

• Lt. Col. Andrew Gray Townsend, C-17 pilot, Air Medal (4th Award) with Valor, from Goshen, New York

• Capt. Jonathan Guagenti, C-17 pilot, Air Medal with Valor, Bloomingburg, New York

• Technical Sergeant Joseph Caponi, instructor loadmaster, Air Medal with Valor, Staten Island, New York

• Staff Sergeant Evan Imbriglio, loadmaster, Air Medal with Valor, Poughkeepsie, New York

• Staff Sergeant Corey Berke, loadmaster, Air Medal with Valor, Carmel, New York

General Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, the director of the Air National Guard will also be present, as will Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York and Brig. Gen. Denise Donnell, the commander of the New York Air National Guard.

A seven member of the 105th Airlift Wing, Technical Sgt. Bryon Catu from Monroe, New York was also on board the aircraft as a flying mechanic. He was recognized previously with the award of the Meritorious Service Medal.

WHAT: A formal award ceremony in which the aircrew of C-17 Reach 824 will be recognized for delivering a special operations MH-47 Chinook helicopter and crew to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, at night, into potential enemy fire, with inadequate ground control, and into a section of the airport under Taliban control. The specially modified helicopter was the key to the evacuation missions that followed.

Quote from Col. Gary Charlton, II, commander of the 105th Airlift Wing:

"We could not be more proud of our Airmen. They executed their missions with the highest degree of professionalism and compassion upholding our Air Force and American values."

"When faced with up unprecedented or unforeseeable challenges, their training, leadership, and perseverance enabled them to successfully complete their mission. They are great American Airmen."

WHEN: No Later Than 12:30 p.m. on Saturday June 4, 2022

WHERE: Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, New York

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will be able to interview the Airmen being recognized as well as Hokanson, Loh and other National Guard leaders, collect video and still imagery of the ceremony.

Members of the press must contact Technical Sgt. Daniel Hotter at 845-563-2075 or Email: 105.AW.PA.Mailbox.Org@us.af.mil no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 2 for access to Stewart Air National Guard Base.

Headshot photos of the Airmen can be downloaded on the New York National Guard FLICKR site here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/albums/72177720299058536

BACKGROUND:

On August 13, 2021, the crew of C-17 Reach 824 were tasked with delivering an MH-47 Chinook helicopter flown by the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, with 22 pilots, crew and maintenance personnel from the United Arab Emirates to Hamid Karzi International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The aircraft was one of four that were supposed to be delivered to Afghanistan to retrieve American personnel as the Taliban closed in on Afghanistan's capitol city.

At that time, it was expected that the Taliban were weeks away from threatening Kabul.

On the night of August 15, the crew first attempted to deliver the special operations helicopter and troops to the airport.

However, the Taliban were now approaching the city and panic on the ground resulted in aircraft taking off with no airspace control at the airport.

Enroute to Afghanistan, the crew was informed by another Air Force C-17 already in Kabul that there was heavy small arms fire and people overrunning the airport. Without ground control and airspace management, they were forced to abort the landing.

On August 16 they tried again.

On the morning of August 16 television news was reporting that the Taliban were on the airport and that panicked civilians were flooding runways, trying to climb onto aircraft.

Capt. Matthew McChesney worked with the MH-47 crew to coordinate with another Chinook crew already on the ground in Kabul to determine whether they could land.

As they approached Kabul they passed C-17s which had turned back because the runways were closed, the Taliban threatened the safety of the airport, and they were low on fuel.

Only one of four MH-47s bound for Kabul had been delivered. Two other aircraft had broken down and it was necessary to get the remaining helicopter on board Reach 824 to Kabul to accomplish the recovery missions.

The crew pressed on with its critical cargo but was unable to land when they arrived at Kabul during the night. The crew orbited above the airfield until the last minute possible before they again turned back to return to Qatar, about a two-and-a-half-hour flight.

Ninety minutes into their return flight they were contacted by a KC-10 fuel tanker whose commander informed the 105th Airlift Wing crew that they had fuel to sustain them. The crew coordinated for air-to-air refueling and took on enough fuel to fly for four and a half hours while heading back to Kabul.

McChesney, knowing that the Kabul airport could not provide refuel, requested that the tanker accompany them back to Kabul to ensure they could refuel after landing and taking off. He refueled once more before approaching Kabul for landing.

Arriving in the dark, the crew made contact with a military team acting as a temporary control tower.

While waiting to get clearance from American personnel on the ground at the Kabul airport, the crew also helped a French A400 cargo plane coordinate its landing instructions, relaying communications with a ground team.

Using night vision goggles, the 105th Airlift Wing crew negotiated the mountainous terrain to the runway which was without lights, observing small arms fire and lasers directed at them from the ground as they approached. Small arms fire hit the left wing of the aircraft as they landed.

After landing, the taxiways were littered with garbage, rocks, personal effects, stray animals, and abandoned cars and SUV's. The crew lost contact with the tower due to jamming and when they turned onto a parallel taxiway discovered they were on the Taliban side of the airport.

They were immediately confronted with 12 armed Taliban trucks, which drove alongside the C-17 as it taxied to the side of the airport under U.S. control.

Once the aircraft was parked the loadmasters worked with the Army special operations aviators to offload the MH-47 in 40 minutes instead of the four hours initially planned.

Reach 824 was then airborne again after 55 minutes on the ground.

According to the Air Force citation:

"The crew of Reach 824's devotion to duty and steadfast commitment to their mission was evident through the unprecedented number of hurdles they overcame.

They voluntarily and flawlessly confronted nonexistent communication, a severe lack of intelligence, maintenance complications, low fuel, and active surface-to-air threats, all placing themselves at great personal risk.

Only through their professional competence, aerial skill and creative solutions was it possible for their cargo to reach its destination and the greater evacuation mission to be made possible.

The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by the crew of Reach 824 reflected great credit upon themselves and the United States Air Force."

BACKGROUND: AIRCREW MEMBERS

Capt. Matthew McChesney, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor

Capt. Matthew McChesney, a Liverpool, New York resident, is an assistant flight commander and instructor pilot in the 105th Airlift Wings' 137th Airlift Squadron.

McChesney was commissioned into the United States Air Force through ROTC at Clarkson University in 2014 and then joined the New York Air National Guard. In 2016 he attended flight training. He became an aircraft commander in 2019.

In August 2020, he volunteered to stage in Ramstein Air Base in Germany in support of the Air Force response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role he flew C-17 missions throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, transporting patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms back to U.S. healthcare facilities in Europe.

McChesney has over 2,600 total hours and over 700 combat hours in the C-17. He has been involved in a wide spectrum of operations including multiple hurricane relief missions, contingency operations in the Middle East, and aeromedical evacuation missions.

His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, Air Force Air Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

In civilian life McChesney is a pilot for Delta Air Lines.

Capt. Matthew McChesney, Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Citation

Captain Matthew T. McChesney distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-17 Instructor Pilot on an Air Mobility Command tasked mission, on 16 August 2021 in direct support of Operation Allies Refuge.

On this date, Captain McChesney and crew were tasked to airlift a Special Operations Aviation Regiment MH-47 Chinook and twenty-two personnel from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to Hamid Karzai International

Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan. The morning of their flight, live television reports revealed that Taliban forces had breached the airport as panicked civilians flooded the runways closing the airfield.

With no onsite intelligence, Captain McChesney keenly engaged other Chinook pilots on the ground to attain real-time intelligence and establish a landing window hoping that the runway would be cleared of civilians. Enroute, they passed a half-dozen C-17's unable to land at Kabul due to airfield closure, threat, or minimum fuel.

Within the vicinity of the airfield, and under cover of night, Captain McChesney expertly navigated mountainous terrain, no air traffic control, and diverse uncontrolled aircraft departures. Ground controller communication was only available within ten miles, a proximity that made them vulnerable to surface-to-air threats. The crew orbited in the threat zone until reaching minimum fuel and forced to divert. During retrograde and on their own, they made every attempt to secure air refueling and found a KC-10 that could give them enough fuel to attempt another return.

Unwilling to fail, Captain McChesney coordinated for the tanker to fly formation back to Kabul so they could retain air refueling capability, increasing their chance of success. The crew remained cutoff from command and control as they approached the closed field, still under the siege of panicked civilians amid continued gunfire reports. They created an ad hoc orbit and performed an additional air refueling to give their critical cargo more time, then ingressed Kabul, sustaining battle damage to the left wing during final approach.

Upon landing they were confronted with twelve heavily armed Taliban vehicles that escorted them to the Allied side of the airfield. The crew masterfully offloaded the vital cargo in an unprecedented forty minutes, enabling the evacuation mission.

The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain McChesney under extremely hazardous and hostile conditions reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Lt. Col. Andrew Gray Townsend, the Air Medal with Valor

Lt Col Andrew Townsend, a Goshen, New York resident, is a Command C-17 pilot in the 105th Airlift Wing. Townsend is also an Air Force trained Aircraft Mishap Investigator and the wing chief of safety.

Townsend began his career in 2004, having earned his commission through the ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He first served as an RC-135 pilot and instructor at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha Nebraska, where he also acted as a flight safety officer and an assistant flight commander.

In 2008 he was awarded the O'Malley Award given for leading the Air Forces Reconnaissance mission of the year. In 2009 he was also recognized as the 8th Air Force safety pilot of the quarter.

In 2010 he was selected to fly the U-2S at Beale Air Force Base in California. Townsend served as a U-2 pilot and instructor as well as a flight commander and chief of training.

In 2014 Townsend was selected to fly the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter as a rescue pilot in the 129th Rescue Squadron at Moffett Field in California. He served as a pilot and chief of safety as well as a mishap investigator.

From May 2018 to October 2018, he served as the chief of safety at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.

In 2019 he was selected to be a C-17 pilot in the New York Air National Guard where he currently serves as the Wing Chief of Safety. He received his master's degree with Distinction in operations and management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2010.

Townsend is a command pilot with more than 4,500 hours in Air Force reconnaissance, rescue helicopters, and airlift aircraft.

His military awards include the Air Force Air Medal with Valor, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Recognition Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Air and Space Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medal.

In civilian life, he is a Boeing-777 First Officer with United Airlines.

Lt. Col. Andrew Townsend, Air Medal with Valor Citation:

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Townsend distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-17 Pilot, on 16 August 2021 in direct support of Operation Allies Refuge.

On this date, Colonel Townsend and crew were tasked to airlift a Special Operations MH-47 Chinook and twenty-two personnel from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan.

On the crew's first attempt into Kabul, they were forced to divert due to conditions not being met to open the airfield and low fuel. During retrograde and on their own, they made every attempt to coordinate air refueling.

They secured a KC-10 and Colonel Townsend single-handedly coordinated the air refueling plan, de-conflicted with other aircraft and expertly flew the non-standard rendezvous.

After their second air refueling and while holding in an ad hoc orbit, Colonel Townsend aided a French A400 that was unsuccessful in communicating with Kabul controllers. He was the A400's only means of communication with the airfield, to which he established himself as a relay and directed their safe landing.

Following the A400, the crew ingressed Kabul, himself identifying a rocket propelled grenade launch on final approach and their aircraft sustained battle damage from small arms ground fire to the left wing.

The crew offloaded their vital cargo in an unprecedented forty minutes, enabling the evacuation mission. The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Colonel Townsend reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Capt. Jonathan Guagenti, the Air Medal with Valor

Captain Jonathan P. Guagenti, a resident of Bloomingburg, New York, is a C-17A pilot assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing's 137th Airlift Squadron.

As an Active Guard Reserve airman, he also has day-to-day office responsibilities as the assistant Officer in Charge of the 137th Airlift Squadron Scheduling Office.

Guagenti enlisted in the 105th Airlift Wing immediately after graduating from Pine Bush High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey in 2006, and served in the 105th Communications Flight.

He deployed to Southwest Asia with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing from August 2011 - December 2011 in support of operations in Iraq.

He graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 with a degree in computer science. He was commissioned in 2017 and began pilot training in the same year.

Since 2019, Guagenti has flown on over 50 combat sorties in support of contingency operations and currently has over 1,000 hours of flying time.

In August 2020, he volunteered for a five-month mission in Ramstein, Germany to support the COVID aeromedical evacuation mission as well as serve as an alert crew for drop mission in Africa and the Middle East.

His awards include the Air Force Air Medal with Valor, Air and Space Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Award, Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Capt. Jonathan Guagenti, Air Medal with Valor Citation

Captain Jonathan Guagenti distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-17 Pilot, on 16 August 2021 in direct support of Operation Allies Refuge.

On this date, Captain Guagenti and crew were tasked to airlift a Special Operations MH-47 Chinook and twenty-two personnel from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan. On their first attempt into Kabul, Captain Guagenti relentlessly attempted to communicate with tactical command and control, but quickly diagnosed a maintenance issue that was preventing them from being able to transmit or receive secure communications.

The crew was then forced to divert due to conditions not being met to open the airfield and low fuel. During retrograde, they made every attempt to secure air refueling, found a KC-10 and returned to Kabul.

While the two pilots at the controls managed the rendezvous, Captain Guagenti, still unable to communicate securely, took to the radios and without hesitation coordinated through other aircraft their return to Kabul.

While holding in an ad hoc orbit, following their second air refueling, conditions were met to open the airfield. Captain Guagenti and crew ingressed Kabul, himself aiding in navigating through multiple traffic conflicts and repeated small arms ground fire, of which one round impacted the left wing, causing battle damage to the aircraft.

The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Captain Guagenti reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Staff Sgt. Evan Imbriglio, the Air Medal with Valor

Staff Sgt. Evan Imbriglio, a Poughkeepsie resident, is a C- 17 loadmaster assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing's 137th Airlift Squadron.

As a loadmaster he is responsible for performing aircraft preflight inspections, supervising cargo on and offload, cargo restraint, weight and balance calculations, and various in-flight duties as required.

Imbriglio enlisted in the 105th Airlift Wing in October 2013. After graduating Basic Military Training in June 2014, he completed loadmaster technical training and returned to Stewart ANGB early in 2015. Since then, he has flown operational missions on the C-17A Globemaster III in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, encompassing mission types from aeromedical evacuation and humanitarian relief, to special assignment airlift.

He has flown over 1600 hours, including over 400 combat hours.

His awards include the Air Force Air Medal with Valor, Air and Space Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal.

Staff Sgt. Evan Imbriglio, the Air Medal with Valor citation

Staff Sergeant Evan Imbriglio distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-17 Loadmaster, on 16 August 2021 in direct support of Operation Allies Refuge.

On this date, Sergeant Imbriglio and crew were tasked to airlift a Special Operations MH-47 Chinook and twenty-two personnel from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan.

On their first attempt into Kabul, the crew was forced to divert. During retrograde, they secured air refueling and returned to Kabul.

With the pilot's attention consumed with setting up the random air refueling and their return, Sergeant Imbriglio established communications with the tanker and was the linchpin to the success of the rendezvous.

On final approach, the crew faced repeated small arms ground fire, one round impacting the left wing and causing battle damage to the aircraft. Additionally, hazardous lasers were directed at the aircraft, brightly illuminating the cargo compartment.

Sergeant Imbriglio quickly and decisively ordered all passengers heads down, avoiding exposure to the lasers and preventing injury.

Finally on the ground, Sergeant Imbriglio and his team masterfully offloaded 83,000 pounds of vital cargo in an unprecedented forty minutes, reducing ground time from four hours to just fifty-five minutes, enabling the evacuation mission and ensuring the safety of the crew and aircraft.

The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Sergeant Imbriglio reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Staff Sergeant Corey Berke, the Air Medal with Valor

Staff Sgt. Corey Berke, a Carmel, New York resident, is a C- 17 loadmaster assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing's 137th Airlift Squadron.

Prior to joining the New York Air National Guared, Berke enlisted in the New York Army National Guard's 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion in 2013. While serving in the New York Army National Guard he deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2020 he joined the 105th Airlift Wing. Since graduating from loadmaster school, he has flown over 500 hours in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East.

His military awards include the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal , the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Staff Sgt. Corey Berke, Air Medal with Valor Citation

Staff Sergeant Corey Berke distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-17 Loadmaster, on 16 August 2021 in direct support of Operation Allies Refuge.

On this date, Sergeant Berke and crew were tasked to airlift a Special Operations MH-47 Chinook and twenty-two personnel from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan.

On their first attempt into Kabul, they were forced to divert. During retrograde they secured air refueling and returned to Kabul. As the crew ingressed Kabul, they sustained battle damage from small arms ground fire to the left wing.

On the ground, the crew turned off the runway and were face-to-face with twelve heavily armed Taliban vehicles. Sergeant Berke quickly took position in the paratroop door and showed great poise, operating without provocation despite having multiple adversary vehicles directly under the wingtips escorting them through the Taliban controlled side of the airfield.

Furthermore, Sergeant Berke aided in backing the aircraft and steered the pilot safely around razor wire.

Finally, Sergeant Berke coordinated a download plan with the load team that masterfully offloaded twenty-two personnel and 83,000 pounds of vital cargo in an unprecedented forty minutes, reducing their ground time from four hours to just fifty-five minutes, enabling the evacuation mission and ensuring the safety of the crew and aircraft.

The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Sergeant Berke reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Technical Sergeant Joseph Caponi IV, the Air Medal with Valor

Technical Sgt. Joseph Caponi IV, a resident of Staten Island is a C-17A aircraft loadmaster instructor assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing's 137th Airlift Squadron. He also has day -to-day responsibilities as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the 105th OperationsSupport Squadron Tactics Office.

Caproni was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and enlisted in the 105th Airlift Wing in 2008. After graduating Basic Military Training in May 2009, Caponi flew missions on the C-5A Galaxy in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

105th's conversion to the C-17A Globemaster III in 2011,he flew missions in both theaters that included aeromedical evacuation and humanitarian relief, and special assignment airlift. In early 2014, he graduated from C-17 loadmaster instructor school. He was certified as an evaluator loadmaster in 2021.

Caponi has more than 3,300 flying hours, including 600 in combat environments.

His awards include the Air Force Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal., the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Technical Sgt. Joseph Caponi, Air Medal with Valor Citation

Technical Sergeant Joseph Caponi distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-17 Instructor Loadmaster, on 16 August 2021 in direct support of Operation Allies Refuge.

On this date, Sergeant Caponi and crew were tasked to airlift a Special Operations MH-47 Chinook and twenty-two personnel from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan.

On their first attempt into Kabul, the crew was forced to divert. During retrograde, they secured air refueling and returned to Kabul.

Knowing the criticality of their cargo to the evacuation mission, Sergeant Caponi devised a uniquely clever plan to work time on the ground versus offload capability, to determine at incremental offload durations exposed on the ground, they could offload "x" amount of cargo and a takeoff was possible while also guaranteeing enough cargo was downloaded for the Special Operations Forces to complete their mission.

The crew ingressed Kabul and sustained battle damage from small arms ground fire to the left wing.

Sergeant Caponi was instrumental to the overall mission success, leading a download team that masterfully offloaded twenty-two personnel and 83,000 pounds of vital cargo in an unprecedented forty minutes, reducing their ground time from four hours to just fifty-five minutes, enabling the evacuation mission and ensuring the safety of their crew and aircraft.

The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Sergeant Caponi reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Posted Friday June 03, 2022 at 06:01 am by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs