Face of Defense: Apache Pilot Receives Distinguished Flying Cross

Face of Defence ^ | Sgt. Nicole Kojetin, USA

[SandRat]

FORT HOOD, Texas, Feb. 1, 2008 – A 1st Cavalry Division AH-64D Longbow Apache pilot got word that two of his friends, fellow pilots, were shot down during a fierce battle in Najaf, a city in Iraqi army control south of Baghdad, Jan. 28, 2007.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zachary Johnson (right), a pilot with 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, gets pinned with the Distinguished Flying Cross by Army Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., 1st Cavalry Division's commander, at the Fort Hood Catering and Conference Center on Jan. 28, 2008. Johnson, a Nampa, Idaho, native, was rewarded for his leadership and skills during a large battle in Najaf, Iraq, Jan. 28, 2007. Photo by Sgt. Nicole Kojetin, USA  
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Not thinking of his personal safety and facing an unknown enemy force, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zachary Johnson sprang into action, which resulted in him being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross at the Fort Hood Catering and Conference Center exactly a year later, on Jan. 28, 2008.

Johnson, the pilot in charge and a unit commander from 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, was commended for his role in that battle as he worked with Iraqi army troops, U.S. special operation forces and U.S. Air Force joint terminal attack controllers to determine the location of friendly and enemy forces while protecting the site of the crash that took the lives of his friends, Capt. Mark Resh and Chief Warrant Officer Cornell Chao.

"The odds were against us," Division Commander Army Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr. said, noting the enemy had around 600 soldiers in well-fortified, dug-in positions.

There was a fierce ground battle under way, and the Iraqi and U.S. soldiers on the ground needed air support. Johnson and his crew were that support.

In eight minutes, Johnson led his team from Forward Operating Base Kalsu to the battlefield.

"Those were the longest eight minutes of my life," he said. "There was sadness because I just lost some of my friends. I was worried about my friends who were still there. I was scared."

But he didn't show it.

Johnson, originally from Nampa, Idaho, orchestrated more than an hour of organized attacks before running completely out of ammunition. His team flew back to FOB Kalsu, re-armed and went back out into the fight.

"He had nerves of steel," Fil said of Johnson after watching the performance on screen at Johnson's award ceremony. "He was calm, reasonable and making sound decisions."

But he didn't feel calm.

"I thought my voice was shaking, and I was thinking about a million things at once," Johnson said. "But like the movie ‘Black Hawk Down,’ when the bullets are flying, you just do your job. I tried to stay level headed and cool under the pressure."

The enemy had dug trenches that were 12 to 15 feet deep in a zigzag pattern to prevent air support from firing in a straight line all the way through. Fil said the insurgents were well-equipped and organized with supplies and medical stations, but the enemy was virtually destroyed. "There was some good shooting that day," Fil said.

That opened up the road to a successful deployment for 1st Cavalry Division, the general said. "I can't imagine how much more difficult it would have been for us if we had lost," he said.

On a smaller scale, it made a huge difference for the people in the city. "The governor met me, and was sobbing. Not out of sadness, not out of anger, but out of thankfulness," he said. "He was so grateful that we took away that burden."

That wouldn't have been possible without the skills and professionalism of Johnson and his team, Fil said. "I have never been associated with anyone more deserving of the Distinguished Flying Cross than Chief Warrant Officer 3 Johnson," he said.

(Army Sgt. Nicole Kojetin is assigned to 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.)

[SandRat]

[SandRat]

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[snippy_about_it]

Thank you Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zachary Johnson!

[Loud Mime]

On a smaller scale, it made a huge difference for the people in the city. "The governor met me, and was sobbing. Not out of sadness, not out of anger, but out of thankfulness," he said. "He was so grateful that we took away that burden."

Obviously, it's not Hollywood or San Francisco.

God Bless the men who fight evil.

[winodog]

I assume they dont hand out many DFC’s. I was wondering what McCain did to get his on another thread but never did get a reply.

Did he deserve it?

[TADSLOS]

Let’s stay focused on this young warrior, please. The story is about him.

[Red_Devil 232]

He got it for being shot down! The rest were issued as reparations for being a POW. He had a total of 20 hours combat flying.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

You know that if he was a CW3 he performed a mighty feat.

If he were a commissioned officer above O5 you may have reason to question. I just read that the number of sorties flown by helicopters in this war now is larger than Vietnam. This is hard to believe but must be true that Army Aviation is performing behind the scenes and doing one heck of a lot.

[Tailback]

Cav Hooah!

[philled]

Thank you and God bless.

[SandRat]

They are rarely awarded. Tried searching for his award citation and can’t find it.

[ConorMacNessa]

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."

George Orwell

[winodog]

I did not mean to take away anything away from Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zachary Johnson.

[sit-rep]

Looks kinda young to be a CWO3... But heck, could just be me gittin old!

[PROCON]

Great job CWO Johnson!!

"There was some good shooting that day," Fil said.

Understatement of the week!!

[nicmarlo]

God bless you, Sir. Thank you for your service.

[Broker]

Great to read about patriots, not victems. Army helo pilots have my total respect. Esp. those who EARN the DFC.

RECONDO!!!

[nicmarlo]

Amen. God bless our military.

[concentric circles]

This was an unusual action in that it involved a largely unknown group following a charismatic leader who claimed to be the 12th imam. That they armed themselves so heavily is a testament to the availability of arms in Iraq.

The Iraqis were expecting trouble during the religious pilgrimage and were on top of the first sign of trouble, which turned out to be much bigger than they realized. They quickly called in the calvary and the following story from a news service tells a little bit more. I believe there were some 600 taken prisoner in addition to the casualties noted.

As many as 300 militants were killed in the daylong fight near Najaf on Sunday.

That estimate comes from the Iraqi provincial spokesman, based on reports he's gotten from officers in the battle zone.

The official said the fighting has stopped but U.S. and Iraqi forces are still surrounding the area and have seized heavy machine guns, other weapons and ammunition.

Iraqi officials said the assault was aimed at insurgents later identified as members of a cult called "Soldiers of Heaven." Authorities said they believed the group was plotting to attack Shiite pilgrims and clerics during a religious festival.

Little was known about the group before the weekend fighting, and nearly all the information about it has come from Iraqi government officials, who said the cultists were led by Diya Abdul-Zahra Kadhim, 37, a Shiite from Hillah who claimed he was the "Hidden Imam," a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who disappeared as a child in the 9th century.

Shiites believe the "Hidden Imam" will come again to restore peace and justice. The cultists appeared to be mostly poor Shiite farmers from an agricultural area 12 miles northeast of Najaf. But they also seemed to have been heavily armed and fought the Iraqi forces to a standstill until U.S. and British jets pounded them with rockets, gunfire and 500-pound bombs.

[KeyLargo]

Great video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QwVPYvf8rI