There was a fierce ground battle under way, and the Iraqi and U.S. soldiers on the ground needed air support. Johnson and his crew were that support. In eight minutes, Johnson led his team from Forward Operating Base Kalsu to the battlefield.
"Those were the longest eight minutes of my life," he said. "There was sadness because I just lost some of my friends. I was worried about my friends who were still there. I was scared. But like the movie ‘Black Hawk Down,’ when the bullets are flying, you just do your job. I tried to stay level headed and cool under the pressure."
Johnson, originally from Nampa, Idaho, orchestrated more than an hour of organized attacks before running completely out of ammunition. His team flew back to FOB Kalsu, re-armed and went back out into the fight.
"The governor met me, and was sobbing. Not out of sadness, not out of anger, but out of thankfulness," he said. "He was so grateful that we took away that burden."
That wouldn't have been possible without the skills and professionalism of Johnson and his team, Fil said. "I have never been associated with anyone more deserving of the Distinguished Flying Cross than Chief Warrant Officer 3 Johnson," he said.
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