McChesney ’14 Receives Distinguished Military Award for Valor in Afghanistan Evacuation

Captain MATTHEW MCCHESNEY ’14 is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross to honor his actions during the humanitarian evacuation of Afghans in 2021.

Capt. McChesney and five others from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing were honored in early June at a Stewart Air National Guard Base ceremony in Newburgh, New York. Officials spoke about the airmen’s bravery onboard a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet — call sign “Reach 824” — as part of Operation Allies Refuge.

Capt. McChesney, Reach 824’s aircraft commander, was the sole recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. The other airmen each received an Air Medal with valor or a Meritorious Service Medal for their contributions to the successful mission.

Capt. McChesney and his crew flew into a blacked-out airport with only night vision goggles and without the knowledge of a potential attack by the Taliban. The team delivered a critical special operations helicopter to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies before the city fell under Taliban control. The Air Force citation notes, “the crew masterfully offloaded the vital cargo in an unprecedented 40 minutes, enabling the evacuation mission.”

Along with delivering critical equipment, the crew of Reach 824 evacuated over 400 refugees from the beleaguered country. The Air Force said that “the professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain McChesney under extremely hazardous and hostile conditions reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.” the local community and partner organizations on sustainable development projects.

Capt. McChesney graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and became a commissioned Air Force officer through Clarkson’s Air Force ROTC program in 2014. He became an aircraft commander in 2019, volunteered for a COVID-19 medical support mission in Germany in 2020 and has flown more than 2,600 hours. Capt. McChesney is a C-17 instructor pilot and an assistant flight commander in New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing.