The Story:
Maj. Pat Houtman and his crew were flying over Afghanistan on a mission in November 2004 when they came under intense enemy fire. The C-130 transport plane was holding 10 passengers and a full cargo load. Houtman and his team immediately took evasive action to get the C-130 transport plane out of danger and to safety. Houtman was flying the plane low, which is necessary for many of the missions in Afghanistan – because of the rugged terrain, it can be difficult to locate soldiers on re-supply missions. The details of Houtman’s and his team’s actions remain largely classified for security purposes. On Sept. 10, 2006, Houtman was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the nation’s oldest military aviation award.