Six airmen from the elite 34th Fighter Squadron have received the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the Air Force’s highest accolades, recognizing their courage in combat during Operation Midnight Hammer and missions over Yemen.

Their service proved once again that American air superiority—and the warriors behind it—remain unmatched anywhere in the world.

The awards, presented at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, come nearly a year after these pilots guided B-2 Spirit bombers deep into Iranian airspace, striking nuclear facilities with pinpoint precision.

The mission demonstrated how stealth technology, when paired with the iron will of American airmen, can penetrate the most heavily defended air defenses on Earth.

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Lt. Col. Aaron Osborne, Maj. Alexander Cox, Maj. Scott Lafferty, Capt. Dakota Bowden, Capt. Christopher Patti, and Capt. Tyler Penkalski were each recognized for heroism that defined Operation Midnight Hammer.

Fifteen more airmen received Bronze Stars, with Osborne and Lafferty earning both distinctions—a testament to the 34th’s lethal capability and leadership under extreme pressure.

The strikes on June 21-22, 2025, involved 125 aircraft supporting simultaneous attacks on three Iranian nuclear complexes.

Seven B-2 bombers launched from the continental United States and were escorted across the region by F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, and the F-35A Lightning II—America’s most advanced multi-role fighter.

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With midair refueling provided by KC-135s, the B-2s successfully deployed 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on key targets while Navy warships fired cruise missiles from the Persian Gulf. Not a single American aircraft was lost.

Image Credit: DoW

For the 34th Fighter Squadron, the mission was as dangerous as it was historic. Their F-35s were the first aircraft to cross into Iranian airspace, clearing the way for the B-2s by neutralizing radar and missile batteries poised for defense.

Flying through one of the most dangerous pieces of sky on the planet, these pilots operated stealth systems, launched precision strikes, and safeguarded every bomber that followed.

“Our weapons officer was the mission commander,” said Lt. Col. Osborne.

“We employed weapons against surface-to-air missile sites while enemy forces tried to target us with high-end air defenses. They couldn’t touch us. It was incredible to see the jet perform the way it was designed to.”

That mission’s success reverberated across the military community. Earlier this year, additional crews from the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron and the 55th Fighter Squadron received similar honors for participating in the same operation. The fact that multiple units are being recognized months later only reinforces just how complex and dangerous Midnight Hammer truly was.

Image Credit: DoW

And the fight didn’t stop there. The 34th deployed again in early 2025 to the Central Command theater under what the War Department called an Immediate Response Force Tasking—effectively a rapid combat deployment with little warning.

Their orders under Operation Rough Rider were to renew airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire.

“Within 24 hours of arriving in theater, we were flying combat missions against Houthi targets,” Osborne recalled. That’s the kind of readiness and grit the 34th is known for—no delays, no hesitation, just action.

During those operations, the squadron claimed the F-35A’s first confirmed air-to-air kills against hostile drones.

The pilots also flew precision missions targeting missile sites and providing overwatch for U.S. and allied naval vessels operating in contested waters off Yemen’s coast. It was a combined arms fight shaped by the stealth, speed, and precision of fifth-generation airpower.

Image Credit: DoW

The 34th’s combat record in 2025 earned it the prestigious Raytheon Award, marking it as the top fighter squadron in the entire Air Force.

That recognition capped off a deployment that not only tested the aircraft but proved the superiority of the F-35 program against live, capable adversaries.

In an era when the Pentagon’s bureaucrats often seem hesitant to credit American resolve, these pilots’ recognition cuts through the noise. These are warfighters who personify the lethal competence that keeps America safe and its enemies scrambling.

The combination of advanced technology and human excellence continues to make the United States Air Force the most formidable instrument of air power in history. Operations like Midnight Hammer show what happens when brave pilots are given the tools, the mission, and the freedom to fly aggressively in defense of this nation.

As the 34th Fighter Squadron’s pilots reminded the world, America still owns the skies—and under the bold leadership of President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, that’s not changing anytime soon.

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