Capt. Lacie Hester, left, and Maj. Benjamin Coffey, right, watch the closing of an award ceremony at RAF Lakenheath in England on Nov. 12, 2024. Each received a Silver Star. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
RAF LAKENHEATH, England — An Air Force officer who became the third woman to be awarded a Silver Star since World War II was among 30 service members recognized this week for battling a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones during an unprecedented retaliatory attack against Israel earlier this year.
Capt. Lacie Hester, a weapons systems officer, was awarded the third-highest military decoration for valor in combat at a ceremony Tuesday at RAF Lakenheath in England. Maj. Benjamin Coffey, the pilot of the two-seater F-15E, received the citation alongside Hester.
More than 150 people attended the ceremony to honor the awardees, which included ground crew members who kept the pilots in the fight during the April 13-14 Iranian attacks.
Hester and Coffey were part of a coalition air mission that countered an Iranian launch of more than 300 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as one-way attack drones.
During their first flight, the pair intercepted six drones flying in the dark at low altitude, the Air Force said.
The fighter was forced to return to an undisclosed base in the Middle East because of a missile that couldn’t fire. Coffey and Hester took cover in a nearby bunker in anticipation of a possible attack on the base.
After learning that a replacement F-15 was ready and as overhead explosions from missile intercepts rang out, they left the bunker for a second flight.
An F-15 similar to those flown while U.S. forces fought off an April 13-14, 2024, Iranian attack on Israel was displayed at an award ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, England, on Nov. 12, 2024. An F-15E was used in the battle by two Air Force members who were awarded the Silver Star at the ceremony. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Air Force Maj. Benjamin Coffey, an F-15 pilot, received a Silver Star at RAF Lakenheath, England, on Nov. 12, 2024, for his actions to defend Israel from an Iranian missile and drone barrage in April. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Gen. James Hecker, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Africa commander, speaks during an award ceremony Nov. 12, 2024, for service members who helped repulse an Iranian attack on Israel on April 13-14. The ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, England, featured 30 award recipients. Two of them were awarded Silver Stars. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Air Force Lt. Col. Timothy “Diesel” Causey was one of six service members to receive a Distinguished Flying Cross with valor on Nov. 12, 2024, for his actions to defend Israel against an Iranian air attack on April 13-14. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
During both flights, the pair fired all available weapons. Hester also directed fighter jets in the area through the end of the Iranian attack, officials said.
Despite the risks, they remained focused on completing their mission and returning to safety, Lt. Col. Timothy “Diesel” Causey, commander of the 494th Fighter Squadron, said Tuesday.
“It was just this beautiful symphony of execution,” Causey said.
Causey was one of six people who received the Distinguished Flying Cross with valor. In all, 14 officers earned the Distinguished Flying Cross in some form. It acknowledges the recipient’s “heroism or extraordinary achievement” while participating in a flight.
Six people ranging from airman first class to staff sergeant received the Air and Space Achievement Medal, while six others earned commendation medals.
Maj. Clayton Wicks and Master Sgt. Timothy Adams were awarded Bronze Stars for their efforts, which included directing maintenance, refueling and reloading operations for a dozen F-15s over seven hours while under dthreat from the Iranian assault.
Gen. James Hecker, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Africa commander, praised the award recipients and the collective efforts of the 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Panthers.
“You never know when your time is going to come, but when your time comes, you need to be ready,” Hecker said. “I’m happy to say the Panthers were ready.”
In all, seven women have received the Silver Star and Hester is the first in the Air Force. Three others received the Citation Star, a predecessor of the current medal.
Pfc. Monica Lin Brown received the Silver Star for treating wounded soldiers while under intense small arms and mortar fire in April 2007 in Afghanistan.
Then-Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, who is not related to Capt. Lacie Hester, was awarded the medal for her actions during a March 2005 enemy ambush on a supply convoy near the town of Salman Pak, Iraq. She was the first woman to receive the citation since World War II.
Plaques for 30 service members who fought against an Iranian attack on Israel on April 13-14, 2024, were on display during an award ceremony Nov. 12 at RAF Lakenheath in England. The awards included 14 Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars and two Silver Stars. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
The Silver Star medal affixed to the plaque for Maj. Benjamin Coffey. Coffey, a pilot, received the citation Nov. 12, 2024, for his actions in helping to defend Israel against an Iranian drone and missile attack on April 13-14. The medal is the third-highest military decoration awarded to members of the armed forces for valor in combat. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
