The 494th Fighter Squadron pilots were recognized for downing several Iranian drones during the attack on Israel in April this year.
In the night between April 13 and 14, 2024, Airmen with the 494th Fighter Squadron took part along with other U.S. and allied crews, in the largest air-to-air enemy engagement in over 50 years. In those hours, the Israeli air defenses faced 170 one-way drones, 120 Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles, and 30 Land-Attack Cruise Missiles during an unprecedented attack launched from Iran alongside Houthi terrorist group in Yemen as well as Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq.
The Israelis were supported by U.S., UK and Jordan, to stop the attacks before they could strike their targets. According to the Israeli Defense Forces the surface-to-air air defenses and fighters achieved a 99% success rate against +300 incoming threats, including Shahed 136 one-way attack drones, Paveh land attack cruise missiles and Emad intermediate range ballistic missiles.
Among the U.S. assets that helped defend Israel there were the F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron, from RAF Lakenheath, UK, and the 335th Fighter Squadron, from Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, operating as part of the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, respectively, which were praised by President Biden who, on Apr. 15 said: “I spoke with members of the 494th and 335th Fighter Squadrons today to commend them for their exceptional airmanship and skill in defending Israel from an unprecedented aerial attack by Iran. These brave servicemembers make us all proud”.
On Nov. 12, 2024, Airmen from the 494th Fighter Squadron and 494th Fighter Generation Squadron were recognized during a ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, UK.
Gen. James Hecker, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa commander, presided over the ceremony along with Col. Jack Arthaud, 48th Fighter Wing commander. During the ceremony, they awarded: two Silver Stars, six Distinguished Flying Crosses with the valor device, four Distinguished Flying Crosses with the combat device, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, seven Air and Space Commendation Medals and seven Air and Space Achievement Medals.
Here’s what Hecker said:
Our Airmen stood firm alongside our coalition partners to protect Israel from a barrage of one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles. The success of our Airmen demonstrates how the U.S. Air Force is ready to respond to, and defeat, evolving threats.
According to a public statement, the mix of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and other defensive assets successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 kamikaze UAVs, out of more than 300 drone and missiles intended to strike Israel
Lt. Col. Timothy Causey, 494th FS commander, in a public statement said his team’s success was due to their ability to remain focused and carry out what they’ve been trained to do.
“We all fell into an execution rhythm: call, shoot, and confirm the target was destroyed before we moved on to the next task we had to accomplish to keep everyone safe.”
F-15E instructor pilot Maj. Benjamin Coffey and instructor weapon systems officer Capt. Lacie Hester received the prestigious Silver Star, the third-highest combat valor award in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Coffey and Hester faced multiple enemy engagements through the night, even while dealing with serious aircraft emergencies and falling debris from hostile fire at their base.
“Although we had intelligence about the number of drones expected, it was still shocking to see them all,” Hester recalled.
In an extraordinary act of bravery, the pair took on low-altitude drones in pitch darkness using the F-15E’s air-to-air Gatling gun after running out of missiles. “It takes a high-performing team to even locate and engage these threats,” Coffey explained, describing how their teamwork and communication were crucial to their success.
This achievement also made history: Hester became the first woman in the Air Force to receive the Silver Star and only the 10th woman in the Department of Defense to earn the award.
Other aircrew who flew that night received Distinguished Flying Crosses for their efforts, which included navigating dangerous airspace filled with active defenses and debris while carrying out their tasks with precision.
The success of the aircrews was made possible by the efforts of the maintainers of the Fighter Generation Squadron (FGS), who ensured the aircraft were combat-ready even under extreme conditions.
“We don’t realize just how much our training pays off until moments like these,” said Tech. Sgt. Adam Johnson, 494th FGS aircraft armament expediter. “When everything became real, we could count on each other to execute automatically, thanks to all the practice we’d done beforehand.”
Over the course of the engagement, the 494th FGS, consisting of 66 Airmen, launched 14 F-15E sorties, including six aircraft scrambled at a moment’s notice, while base defenses simultaneously neutralized enemy threats overhead.
“People and the mission—that’s all I could focus on,” said Master Sgt. Timothy Adams, lead production superintendent for the 494th FGS. “Keeping everyone safe and making sure they stayed focused was my priority. I didn’t even have time to look up at what was happening.” For his leadership that night, Adams, along with Maj. Clayton Wicks, was awarded the Bronze Star.
Reflecting on the night, Adams said, “I still get chills thinking about how well everyone came together. I wasn’t the hero; I was just the guy with the radio. It was the whole team—the maintenance crew, weapons specialists, fuels personnel—working seamlessly. No one panicked; no one faltered. How could you not be proud of that?”
The operation’s success was a testament to integrated planning and rigorous training across aircrew, maintenance, logistics, munitions, and intelligence teams—both at home and while deployed.
“I’m incredibly proud of our Liberty Airmen and how they worked alongside our allies to execute the mission that night,” said Col. Jack Arthaud, 48th Fighter Wing commander. “Their success is built on decades of collaboration and joint exercises. We’ll continue to prepare and maintain readiness to fight alongside our partners—anytime, anywhere.”
