Zachary Rhyner

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Zachary Rhyner
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Operation Unified Response
Awards
Spouse(s)Jillian Rhyner
Children2

Zachary James Rhyner (born June 21, 1986) is a medically retired

Afghanistan.[4] He has assisted in humanitarian operations and was a part of Operation Unified Response in Haiti during the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[4]

Military career

Army Special Forces team
in Afghanistan, 2008.

Rhyner

Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, and lastly the U.S. Air Force Combat Diver school in Panama City, Florida. After completing the Combat Control training pipeline he was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope AFB (later Pope Field).[5]

In addition to his Air Force Cross, Rhyner has received the Bronze Star Medal, three

Air Force Combat Action Medal.[4] The first Purple Heart he received was for his actions in the Battle of Shok Valley, while the second Purple Heart was from a deployment to southern Afghanistan in 2009. He received his third purple heart in March 2013, when a gunshot wound shattered his right femur and severed his sciatic nerve.[4][6] Rhyner medically retired in 2015 as a result of wounds sustained in combat that prevented mobility below the knee.[7]

Battle of Shok Valley

Army Special Forces
soldiers of ODA 3336 in the Shok Valley prior to the battle
Main article: Battle of Shok Valley

On 6 April 2008, a 130-man combined assault force, dubbed Commando Wrath, performed a day-time rotary-wing insertion down into a remote valley of the

Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) militant group.[8] Shortly after landing the assault force was ambushed and pinned down and the assault force was split in two on either side of a river.[8]

Rhyner and several Special Forces members were wounded throughout the course of the battle.

Special Forces and one Combat Cameraman received the Silver Star, the greatest number of Silver Stars awarded for a single battle since the Vietnam War.[8][18][19]

Capt. Stewart Parker, the Command and Control Special Forces commander at Bagram Air Base during the battle, said of Rhyner: "Rhyner is out of training less than a year and is in one of the most difficult situations ... it is an absolute testament to his character and the training these guys take. It tells me we are doing something right."[15] During a Fox News interview with Glenn Beck, Beck asked Rhyner, "there are only—what is it?—192 people who have ever received the Air Force Cross. ... How do you put that together in your head? I mean, you are in a very elite group." Rhyner simply replied with "Any other combat controller put in the same situation would have performed in the same, exact way. ... Credit that to the training we receive and the process that we go through to become a combat controller."[20] Future Air Force Cross recipient, and fellow Combat Controller, Robert Gutierrez was also present at the Battle of Shok Valley with Rhyner, albeit with a different Special Forces team, and regarding Rhyner's actions he said reportedly, "If it wasn't for Zach, I wouldn't be here."[15]

Awards and honors

Air Force Cross

The

Norton Schwartz presented Rhyner with his Purple Heart.[21] The last time an Air Force Cross was bestowed upon a living recipient was when Timothy Wilkinson was awarded it for his heroic actions during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.[22]

Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Senior Airman Zachary J. Rhyner, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States while serving with the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, at Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on 6 April 2008. On that date, while assigned as Special Tactics Combat Controller, Airman Rhyner executed a day rotary-wing infiltration with his Special Forces team to capture high-value insurgents in a village on the surrounding mountains. While climbing near vertical terrain to reach their objective, the team was attacked in a well-coordinated and deadly ambush. Devastating sniper, machine gun, and rocket-propelled grenade fire poured down on the team from elevated and protected positions on all sides, immediately pinning down the assault force. Without regard for his life, Airman Rhyner placed himself between the most immediate threats and provided suppressive fire with his M-4 rifle against enemy fire while teammates were extracted from the line of fire. Airman Rhyner bravely withstood the hail of enemy fire to control eight United States Air Force fighters and four United States Army attack helicopters. Despite a gunshot wound to the left leg and being trapped on a 60-foot cliff under constant enemy fire, Airman Rhyner controlled more than 50 attack runs and repeatedly repelled the enemy with repeated danger close air strikes, several within 100 meters of his position. Twice, his actions prevented his element from being overrun during the intense six-and-a-half-hour battle. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Airman Rhyner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.[1]

Commendations

MSgt Rhyner's awards include the following:[23]

Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
Badge Basic Parachutist Badge
Badge Military Freefall Parachutist Badge
1st Row Air Force Cross
2nd Row Purple Heart Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal
with "V" device and 2 Oak leaf clusters
3rd Row
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
 Air Force Good Conduct Medal
with 1 Oak leaf cluster
4th Row National Defense Service Medal
Campaign stars
Campaign star
5th Row Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon

with frame
6th Row
Air Force Longevity Service Award
with 1 Oak leaf cluster
NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon
 USAF Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
7th Row
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
with 1 Service star
Air Force Training Ribbon
 NATO Medal
for ex-Yugoslavia
Badge U.S. Air Force Scuba Diver Badge

Other honors

In 2008 he was presented the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs' Grateful Nation Award by the

Mike Mullen, for his actions during the Battle of Shok Valley.[24][25] In 2009 Rhyner won a United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington Special Salute award as the 2008 USO Airman of the Year for his heroic efforts in Afghanistan the year prior. The award was presented to him by Air Force General Norton Schwartz.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Hall of Valor: Zachary Rhyner". Military Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  2. US Air Force. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  3. US Air Force. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  4. ^ a b c d "Zachary Rhyner saluted Sunday for Operation Fan Mail". Packers.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Veteran Tributes". Veteran Tributes. 31 May 2004. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Bandage 33 saves TSgt Rhyner". www.talkingproud.us.
  7. ^ "Air Force Cross recipient retires due to combat wounds".
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-425-25340-3
    .
  9. ^ John Ramsey (11 March 2009). "Airman gets medal for valor". Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  10. ^ "ODA 3336 in the Shok Valley - Defense Media Network".
  11. ^ a b Fred W. Baker III (10 September 2009). "USO gala honors troops, sacrifices". American Forces Press Service. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  12. ^
    U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original
    on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Thesaurus - Danger Close". U.S. Army Center for Army Lessons Learned. 17 September 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  14. ^ Maj. Gen. Richard Comer (USAF-Ret) (7 June 2010). "AFSOC's Advanced Skills Training". Defense Media Network. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  15. ^ a b c Capt. Laura Ropelis. "Air Commando saves lives in Afghanistan". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Airman to Receive Air Force Cross". Military.com. 27 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Combat controller receives Air Force Cross, Purple Heart". 11 March 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  18. New York Times. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original
    on 27 August 2011.
  19. ^ Gina Cavallaro (15 December 2008). "Valor of combat cameraman earns him Silver Star". Army Times. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  20. ^ Brig. Gen. Darryl Burke (29 July 2010). "Avoid the vertical pronoun". Fort Leonard Wood Guidon. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  21. ^ a b Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle. "Combat controller receives Air Force Cross, Purple Heart". Pope AFB. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Hall of Heroes Air Force Cross Recipients". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  23. ^ "Zachary J. Rhyner". veterantributes.org. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  24. ^ "And the 2008 Grateful Nation Award Recipients Are..." 14 November 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  25. U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original
    on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.

External links

Media related to Zachary Rhyner at Wikimedia Commons

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