A U.S. Air Force carry team transfers the remains of Air Force Maj. Randy Voas at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on April 10, 2010. (Brianne Zimny/U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force will posthumously award Distinguished Flying Cross medals to two airmen 14 years after they were killed in an CV-22 Osprey crash on April 9, 2010, during a mission near Qalat, Afghanistan.

Maj. Randell Voas and Senior Master Sgt. James Lackey helped save the lives of two crew members and 14 passengers on board after a series of incidents, including mechanical failure, caused the crash. Two passengers, as well as Voas and Lackey, were killed.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall authorized retroactive authority to Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, to approve the award nominations, according to a March 6 new release.

“Randy and JB’s actions in the face of chaos is what all Air Commandos train for,” Bauernfeind said. “I am grateful that we are able to recognize their final acts.”

Team Hurlburt members from across the base line the streets, saluting the hearse carrying Senior Master Sgt. James Lackey as he is transported to the Hurlburt Field Airpark for his funeral April 16, 2010. (Caitlin O’Neil-McKeown/Department of Defense)

Voas, a CV-22B pilot and flight lead, and Lackey, a CV-22B flight engineer, were assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

The crash was the first fatal accident in the Air Force’s Osprey variant, the CV-22, since the special operations aircraft became operational in 2006, according to the Air Force Times.

An Air Force investigation listed 10 contributing factors to the cause of the mysterious crash, including weather, environmental conditions and aircraft performance.

The medals will be presented to the primary next of kin at a time to be determined.