1987 Gallatin graduate awarded military Distinguished Flying Cross

Rewritten from an article by T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes

One Kunsan Air Base fighter pilot received the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroic actions performed during combat missions over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. And to make the event even more memorable, Air Force Secretary James G. Roche – in town as part of a tour of Pacific bases – presented Maj. James R. Sears his medal. One of the highest decorations awarded in the military, the Distinguished Flying Cross honors a single act of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.

Sears, now with Kunsan’s 35th Fighter Squadron – participated in a three-month deployment to Afghanistan with the 354th Fighter Wing from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, earlier this year.

On Jan. 20, enemy forces downed a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter in the mountains south of Kabul. Sears, piloting his F-16CG, was the on-scene commander of the search-and-rescue efforts deep in enemy territory. According to his award citation, he found the site and controlled 13 aircraft, including two unmanned aerial vehicles, five helicopters, a C-130, two F-18s and two F-15Es in a five-nautical-mile radius of the crash site.

Sears, a 12-year Air Force veteran, said the mission was dangerous.”The area had been fairly hot for about a week prior” to the helicopter going down, he added.

He said his wife and family are proud of the award. Sears was so “caught up in the activities and events” that he never thought about earning any medals for his mission that day, which exceeded 11 hours of duty.

His citation reads that he “displayed outstanding courage and superior airmanship in the face of personal danger.””I just felt like I was doing what needed to be done at the time,” Sears said. But, he added: “It’s one of the most memorable times I’ve had in my 12 years in the Air Force.”