Post by hunter on Jan 14, 2020 1:43:32 GMT
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lori Hill unleashed ordnance from her Kiowa helicopter at Iraqi insurgents as they attacked friendly forces on the ground. An RPG streaked up and exploded, damaging the aircraft. Hill kept control of the helo and continued providing air support. Machine gun fire struck her bird next. One round came through the cockpit and hit Hill in the ankle. Now injured, and her aircraft losing hydraulics and power from the damage, Hill departed the scene and made an emergency landing at the nearest FOB. Hill, her copilot, and the helicopter were all saved. For her flying skill and dedication to her mission supporting the ground forces, Hill was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
"...serving as Pilot of a Kiowa helicopter of the 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, in Support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 21 March 2006 in Iraq. CWO3 Hill and another helicopter were flying convoy security for two Bradley vehicles on patrol in a small village. They learned of an attack at a nearby command center involving both U.S. and Iraqi forces, so they responded to provide air support. On the way they ran into a concentrated attack with RPGs and machine gun fire. They laid down suppressing fire but the two aircraft continued on. When they arrived at the command center, they were greeted with machine gun fire, so they broke away and headed back in, shooting at the tracer fire. Drawing the fire away from the lead helo, CWO3 Hill established communications with the ground troops, and provided suppressive fire for troops engaged with the enemy on the ground until they reached safety. On the third pass, a RPG hit her, damaging the helo's instrumentation. As she was banking away, the helicopter took machine gun fire which hit CWO3 Hill in the foot. The aircraft was losing transmission power, as well as hydraulics, which prevented the copter from hovering. So, with a damaged aircraft and injury, she made an emergency landing at a nearby forward operating base, saving her crew and aircraft."