Airmen from the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., finally received the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal for heroic actions in the Middle East last year.

During a ceremony on Jan. 23, Maj. Gen. Charles Bolton, 18th Air Force commander, awarded Capt. Anthony Carella, Capt. John Squatrito, Maj. Alex Grayson and Senior Airman Alex Fiscus.

Two other members of the crew, Capt. Andrew Setrin and Staff Sgt. Alex Diego, were awarded by their new units.

“They operated in an environment where the margin for error was razor thin. Where every decision carried weight and where failure was not an option,” Bolton said.

In April 2024, two dozen KC-135 crew members helped refuel fighter jets engaged in Operation True Promise, a coordinated defense effort in response to a missile and drone assault by Iran on Israel. The attack involved over 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems. The pilots executed a precise orbit pattern over the fighter jets, demonstrating coordination and professionalism in a high-stakes mission.

Over the course of the operation, the tanker crews offloaded hundreds of thousands of pounds of fuel, enabling the fighter jets to intercept and neutralize the majority of the threats.

Eleven airmen from the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 134th Air Refueling Wing received their medals in December, and seven airmen from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., received their medals in August.

“These are the type of airmen we need,” Bolton said. “Airmen willing to put everything on the line to accomplish the mission, regardless of the obstacles in their way. Their actions are commendable and demonstrate the quality of Airmen at MacDill Air Force Base.”

The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to members of the military who distinguish themselves by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.

“This honor is not awarded lightly,” Bolton said. And it is rare for tanker crews.

The medal citation for the tankers said “the crews found themselves in the direct line of fire after two regional adversaries launched a coordinated offensive attack on a critical ally of the United States,” according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.