Staff Sergeant Zachary Rhyner

From the March 3rd edition of the Air Force Association's Daily Report:

Pope Airman to Receive High Honor: SSgt. Zachary Rhyner, a combat controller at Pope AFB, N.C., will receive the Air Force Cross March 10 at a ceremony in the Pentagon. Rhyner, a member of Air Force Special Operations Command's 21st Special Tactics Squadron, is being honored for his heroic actions on April 6, 2008, in Afghanistan's Shok Valley, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz Feb. 26 during his address at AFA's Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. Rhyner, a senior airman at the time, was with a group of US and Afghan special forces that deployed in rugged high terrain to assault an insurgent stronghold. Approaching the target, "all hell broke loose," as the team came under devastating fire on all sides from a large group of insurgents in elevated and protected positions, said Schwartz. "Courageously moving into position without regard for his own life, [Rhyner] returned fire with his rifle to cover his wounded teammates while they were extracted from the line of fire," explained Schwartz. And, although shot three times and seriously wounded in his leg, Rhyner called in more than 50 air strikes during the six-hour battle to prevent the team from being overrun. "Zack, it's a wonderful thing you did and how proud you make us all," said Schwartz. (For more, read the Fayetteville Observer's Feb. 27 report and December 2008 AFPS report) (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Brian E. Christiansen)

And from the Fayetteville Observer article linked above:

About 100 Special Forces and Afghan soldiers each were carrying more than 60 pounds of equipment when they jumped from helicopters onto icy, jagged rocks and waist-deep running water in 30-degree temperatures to assault a terrorist stronghold in Afghanistan. Their objective was at the top of the mountains surrounding the valley.

They were ambushed by 200 enemy fighters, and Rhyner was shot within the first 15 minutes, according to an account from the Air Force Special Operations Command. The team came under fire from all directions from snipers, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Capt. Kyle Walton, the Special Forces team leader, treated Rhyner for his injuries as the airman called in Apache attack helicopters.

Rhyner called in 4,570 rounds of cannon fire, nine Hellfire missiles, 162 rockets, 12 500-pound bombs and a 2,000-pound bomb, Air Force officials said.

The Army awarded ten Silver Stars to members of Team 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg, NC in this same engagement. Further details of the battle are here, and it's quite the story.

The Air Force Cross is the service's second highest decoration, second only to the Medal of Honor.