U.S. Air Force airmen assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing pose for a photo during a decoration ceremony at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., on March 31, 2026. (Emilee Seiler/U.S. Air Force)
Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star medals were awarded Tuesday to 14 U.S. Air Force pilots and crew members from Fairchild Air Force Base for their roles in Operation Midnight Hammer, the surprise bombing attack against nuclear weapons production sites in Iran on June 21-22, 2025.
The crews from the 92nd Refueling Wing at the base near Spokane, Wash., flew KC-135 Stratotankers to refuel the U.S. aircraft taking part in the mission.
The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for extraordinary heroism and aerial achievement in flight, and the Bronze Star recognizes heroic or meritorious service in a combat zone, the Air Force said in a statement. The flying awards bore a “C” insignia, indicating they were awarded for combat missions.
“The airmen were lauded for providing critical refueling that enabled other Air Force assets to continue the fight and return home safely,” the Air Force said.
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a briefing just after Operation Midnight Hammer that the mission was carried out by seven B-2 Spirit bombers flying from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Each B-2 dropped a pair of 30,000‑pound GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on deeply buried targets.
Caine said the 37-hour round-trip mission required “dozens and dozens” of in-flight refueling tankers and more than 125 planes that included bombers, tankers, escorts and electronic warfare aircraft. Some bombers and other aircraft took part in decoy missions, flying west toward the Pacific Ocean.
Maj. Gen. Charles Bolton, 18th Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony at Fairchild and presented the medals for “courage, professionalism and an unyielding commitment to the mission and their fellow airmen.”
“These historic missions were fraught with peril and required decisive reactions to dynamic operational environments,” said Bolton. “The way they choose to respond, the way they adapt and work together — that’s what we’re highlighting today.”
Bolton also praised Air Force personnel who maintained the aircraft and helped prepare for the long flights.
“From maintainers ensuring aircraft readiness, to mission planners and support crews, none of this could happen without the collective efforts of our Air Force family,” Bolton said.
The Air Force also activated about 100 Washington Air National Guard members stationed at Fairchild in early March to support the U.S. attacks on Iran, according to the Washington Military Department. The airmen are part of the 141st Air Refueling Wing.
