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Three District of Columbia Air National Guard F-16 pilots received the military’s highest flying honor Feb. 1 for shooting down Iranian drones aimed at Israel in April 2024.
Maj. Benjamin “Boom” Saunders, Maj. Eric “Fume” Anderson and Capt. Ryan “Hammer” Boodee received the Distinguished Flying Cross with a “C” device for combat from Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the National Guard Bureau chief, during a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
“When I read about the accomplishments of Viper 5-1 and 6-1, ‘air superiority’ comes to mind,” Nordhaus said. “Elite and lethal.”
In early 2024, the pilots and 12 F-16s deployed as part of the 121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to Saudia Arabia and were and attached to the U.S. Central Command’s 357th Air Expeditionary Wing in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Guardian.
On April 13, Saunders and Boodee were flying as Viper 5-1, with Anderson and his wingman as Viper 6-1, conducting a defensive counter-air operation in anticipation of an Iranian attack.
Iran launched a large-scale, unprecedented retaliatory attack consisting of one-way aerial attack drones, cruise and ballistic missiles against Israel.
Nordhaus said the award recipients faced the massive drone attack while operating outside reliable radio contact and command-and-control, forcing them to execute “mission command.”
When more than 300 Iranian drones approached Israel, the pilots deployed in the area and countered the threat, expending their aircraft missiles and utilizing their 20mm cannons.
“On that night, they placed themselves in significant danger when flying as Viper 5-1 and Viper 6-1,” the award citation reads.
Viper 5-1 flew searching for aerial targets with the aid of night-vision goggles until they ran low on fuel. While flying to meet a tanker for aerial refueling, Saunders detected a low-flying drone and downed it with a missile, making it the first drone destroyed by coalition forces that night.
Bodee continued to scan for threats until Saunders returned from refueling. He then detected the frontmost traces of more than 100 additional attacking drones.
Two F-16s in Viper 5-1 fired missiles at the drones until Viper 6-1 arrived. Saunders coordinated targeting of the drones and Viper 5-1 continued firing missiles until none remained.
At that point, Saunders used his aircraft’s 20mm cannon in a low-altitude attack to down a drone.
Viper 5-1continued to coordinate targeting and refueling for both flights during the continuing defensive actions, shooting down 15 Iranian drones and detecting others for coalition forces to address.
“I could not be prouder of Boom, Fume and Hammer, the 113th Wing and the 121st Fighter Squadron,” Nordhaus said. “You represent the best of the National Guard, and you join the legacy of excellence in the National Guard.”
The Distinguished Flying Cross is the oldest U.S. military award for aviation, established in 1926 for exhibiting “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight” in service with the Army, Navy, or Air Force.
—By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Enriquez, District of Columbia National Guard
