Captain William J. Kossler, USCG Award

After a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours in August 2019, the reservoir spillway above the small town started to collapse. Eight crew members flew three Chinooks for 58 flying hours and delivered 620 one-ton bags of aggregate to shore up the spillway, saving the town.

On the morning of July 13, 2018, the flight crew received a call about an injured hiker stranded overnight at the top of Mount Hood, more than 11,000 ft (3,350 m) above sea level. The crew quickly prepared the aircraft and coordinated with multiple government entities to develop a rescue plan. Upon arrival at the rescue site, the crew attempted multiple landings in an effort to reach the injured hiker. Each attempt tested the limits of the crew and their Chinook. Through perseverance, courage and skill, the crew finally found a landing spot just below the injured hiker and ground rescue team. However, this spot was only big enough for the two aft wheels of the helicopter. With the crew’s previous experience in Afghanistan, they successfully completed the two-wheel landing and were able to hold this position for more than five minutes while the injured hiker and ground rescue team boarded the aircraft. The crew comprised of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Donald J. Ford, Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Hoffinan, Staff Sergeant Steven Kirkpatrick, Sergeant Jeremy Maddox, and Sergeant James McKnight.

Bravo Company self-deployed two Chinooks from Savannah, Georgia, to the island stricken by Hurricane Maria. During Oct. 14-21, 2017, the crews flew 67.5 hours carrying 1,045 sandbags weighing 3,000 lb (1,350 kg) each. In total, Bravo Company flew over 2.6 million pounds (1,200 metric tons) of cargo over 36 days. Their efforts were vital in supporting operations to restore power and water to the island after the monster hurricane.

During their deployment the unit transported more than 19,000 individuals and moved more than 10,000,000 pounds of cargo during major flooding in Pakistan.

The Coast Guard received an SOS signal from the American Way and diverted the Jayhawk and crew to Aghiyuk Island, located nearly 200 nautical miles southwest of Kodiak, Alaska. The crew battled low 500 foot ceilings, less than 3 miles visibility, and driving snow for the treacherous transit to the stranded crewmembers.

Crew members included LCDR Joseph McGilley, pilot in command; LCDR Eric Smith, co-pilot; AMT2 Adam Mayhugh (FM); and AST1 Michael Spencer (RS) of the US Coast Guard Group at Air Station Astoria. Combined with other search and rescue helicopters from the Coast Guard, US Navy, as well as the King's County Sheriff's Office UH1E, helicopter aircrews saved a total of 120 people in hurricane-force winds in elevated terrain.

The demonstrated professionalism and skill of the crews and their AS332 Super Puma L2 helicopters, in the face of extremely hazardous weather conditions, were truly remarkable. Despite wind speeds of up to 100 knots, waves of close to 65 feet, turbulence, low visibility and the violent pitching and rolling of the foundering barges, the GFS crews were able to carry out this most challenging search and rescue (SAR) mission and bring 91 people safely back to land.

The aircrew of a Norrlandsflyg S-76C search and rescue helicopter pulled the captain of a sinking vessel and a rescue swimmer from a Finnish rescue helicopter from the Baltic Sea during tumultuous weather. The crew members include: Carl Tengblad, Aircraft Commander; Mats Johan Mattson, Co-pilot; Anders Bodin, Winch Operator and Engineer; and Daniel Ericson, Rescue Swimmer.

Recipients of this heroic award are Major Cliff Porter, Captain David S. Hill, Captain Thomas J. Romuald, Gunnery Sergenat David P. Cummiskey, Gunnery Sergeant Edward R. Morris, and Hospitalman 1st Class Robert E. Brown.

They saved 28 sailors from the sinking Merchant Patriot. Representing the U.S.Coast Guard Rescue Team are Captain Crea and representing the U.S.Air Force crews are Captain Phil Kennedy, Aircraft Commander; Senior MSGT Dana Beach, Pararescueman Senior RA David Biddinger, Pararescueman and Major Jay Flournoy, Director of Operations.

In June 1995, the team performed the successful rescue of USAF Captain Scott O'Grady in Bosnia. This extraordinary effort illustrated the high degree of technology, teamwork and training needed to ensure the mission's success.

They recovered the lone survivor from the sunken Salva­dor Allende more than 70 miles from where the boat sank. Thomas Snyder reads the dramatic account of the rescue as the recipients including Lt. Col. Edward Fleming, Captain Chris­tian Baur, Sr. Master Sergeant Rich­ard Davin, Tech. Sergeant James Dougherty, Major Graham Buschor, Major Eugene Sengstacken, Tech. Sergeant John Krulder, and Tech. Sergeant Michael Moore look on.

Col. John O. Benson, Commander, AATD, accepted the Kossler Award from outgoing Society president Edward Renouard and Dean Borgman, Society chairman.

The crew, stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, is no stranger to poor weather conditions. But they had to have more than second thoughts about the conditions they experienced during the rescue operation they conducted off the Alaskan coast on December 19,1986. A fishing vessel, with two aboard, was foundering in severe weather. The winds were blowing at 50 knots, with gusts to 80, visibility was as low as one-half mile, seas were as high as 30-40 feet, and the pre-dawn skies were still pitch-black when the call came to the crew. With great skill and determination, the crew showed just what the helicopter can accomplish, Pilot Tom Walters, Co-Pilot John Filipowicz, Mechanic Third Class Antonio Juan, Avionics Technician 2nd class Donald Nolan, and Health Services Technician 3rd class John Holcomb certainly went beyond the call of duty to perform this heroic act.

Horner, right, presents Kossler Award certificates to Carlos Ayala and Santos Patino, in the photo.

It is safe to say USCG flight crew 1469 under LCDR Jimmy Ng went to extraordinary lengths to complete its mission. Detailed story is published on page-31 of Vol.31, No-4 of Vertiflite.

Under the most extreme weather conditions, they demonstrated individual and crew coordination and skill, in maneuvering their CH-47 helicopter to a hover above a glacier while their crew loaded the victim into the aircraft.

On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, carrying 79 persons, crashed into the Potomac River after striking the 14th Street Bridge. Six persons were able to escape from the aircraft into the freezing water. Just minutes after the crash, Usher and Windsor arrived at the scene and began to scoop up the victims, despite high winds, snow, and freezing weather conditions. At one point Usher hovered the helicopter with both skids in the water and the tail dangerously close, while Windsor stood out on a skid and pulled an exhausted woman to safety. This daring rescue was shown coast to coast on network television and demonstrated to the entire nation the unique and public service benefits of the helicopter and the safety and skill of pilot Don Usher and paramedic Gene Windsor.

To successfully rescue 519 people without injury or the loss of a single life from the violent Gulf of Alaska during a winter storm, took the combined efforts of land, sea and air forces of the U.S. and Canada. Both military and civilian aircraft and personnel were involved in the rescue. Award was accepted by Captain Verne E. Cox, Chief of the Operations Division, USCG 17th District.

He demonstrated exceptional courage and flying ability in positioning a CH-113A Voyager helicopter close inboard to the ship's rigging and deck house to enable the use of the rescue hoist through the center hatch of the cabin. The crew of the tanker, less one man, had taken to life boats and were later rescued by a Coast Guard vessel. To get to the rescue area, Crows had to conduct an IFR flight in snow at 7,000 feet from his origin to a point sixty miles at sea and 180 miles from his home base of operation. Considering that the rescue mission was a night operation, the temperature was at zero degrees farenheit, the seas were high and the weather conditions were extremely adverse, this was one of the most dangerous missions undertaken by a pilot.

Award was received by Captain John A. Cameron, Managing Director of British Airways Helicopters.

It was accepted by Col. Lawrence Baughman, C.O. of the 101st.

The Kossler Award was presented to "The six crewmen of Helicol, S.A., and to the eight Colombian air Force personnel.

Pass had the exemplary courage and made the perceptive decision to utilize a Skycrane for delivery of concrete in the construction of an important transportation facility. A total of 12,300 cubic yards of concrete was poured from a helicopter-borne bucket to build the bridge support piers. Making 10 fights per hour, this helicopter capability greatly sped the progress of the bridge-making. Ralph P. Pass said he was accepted the award on behalf of "those people at Sikorsky Aircraft, United Aircraft, and the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company who made this possible."

His operation of a Sikorsky CH-54B illustrated that the aircraft can harvest timber from forests without causing ecological damage to surrounding growth, as is sometimes necessary with other methods. Erickson became the first commercial purchaser of a Skycrane.

Lt. Col. Charles E. Hollis (right) accepted the award for US Army's Transportation Aircraft Test and Support Activity. The award was presented by Jack E. Leonard (left).

The Kossler award was presented to these organizations and representing the services, accepting the award were: Don R. Berlin, President of the Helicopter Council of the Aircraft Industries Association; Maj. Gen. T. P. Gerrity, USAF; LTG James N. Gavin, Chief of Army Research and Development; VADM A.C. Richmond, USCG; LTG C.F. Schilt, USMC; and RADM J.S. Russell, USN.

For greatest achievement in practical application or operation of rotary-wing aircraft, the value of which has been dcmonstrated in actual service during the preceding year.

For greatest achievement in practical application or operation of rotary-wing aircraft, the value of which has been dcmonstrated in actual service during the preceding year.

For greatest achievement in practical application or operation of rotary-wing aircraft, the value of which has been dcmonstrated in actual service during the preceding year.

For greatest achievement in practical application or operation of rotary-wing aircraft, the value of which has been demonstrated in actual service during the preceding year.

For greatest achievement in practical application or operation of rotary-wing aircraft, the value of which has been demonstrated in actual service during the preceding year.