WILLIAMSBURG, Va. –
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Pegasus received the Virginia Governor’s National Service Medal during a ceremony Feb. 5, 2023, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Brig. Gen. James W. Ring, the VNG Director of the Joint Staff, presented the awards.
“As you get this ribbon today, know that you’re walking within a long lineage of that Citizen-Soldier service that dates back to Jamestown in 1607,” Ring said. “Thanks to every single one of you for doing what you do. When you get back to your formations, pass it on and recognize that you’re part of generational leadership within our armed forces and within our National Guard, so thank you for all that you do and thanks to your families as well.”
Approximately 140 Soldiers from the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division were deployed to Kosovo in 2022 as part of Task Force Pegasus and served as the aviation task force for NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East. There, they provided air mobility for all KFOR troops and supplies, as well as medical evacuations throughout the region.
During their deployment Task Force Pegasus aviation crews flew more than 1,700 accident-free flight hours, completing more than 275 aerial missions consisting of aerial reconnaissance, logistical resupply, troop transport and wildfire suppression. Five missions were multinational multi-ship flights. They also conducted 14 medical evacuation, or MedEvac, missions, two of which required the use of a rescue hoist.
Several Soldiers were awarded the Air Medal for their efforts during one of those MedEvac missions. On May 28, 2022, a five-person crew was called to the rugged terrain of Albania’s northern mountain range. There, the crew rescued two injured individuals via rescue hoist whose vehicle had rolled down a cliffside, causing injury to both.
“It is very unusual that you would see this awarded outside of wartime, and that just shows the complexity of the mission that they supported and lives that they saved,” said Lt. Col. Matthew C. Lewis, Task Force Pegasus commander. “This is not an award that is given out lightly and it’s something, as a collective whole, that everybody should be proud of because that’s part of our team, that represents us.”
The Air Medal is awarded or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight or for single acts of merit or heroism.
“This success was [because] we all work together as a team, we all trained with what we were going to do,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brady Lemmon, the team’s pilot in command. “There were things we trained on that we realized weren’t working out right. We all recognized it and adjusted it on the fly. I don't know if we could work together any better than we did.”
KFOR RC-East’s mission is to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo as mandated by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Pegasus received the Virginia Governor’s National Service Medal during a ceremony Feb. 5, 2023, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Brig. Gen. James W. Ring, the VNG Director of the Joint Staff, presented the awards.
“As you get this ribbon today, know that you’re walking within a long lineage of that Citizen-Soldier service that dates back to Jamestown in 1607,” Ring said. “Thanks to every single one of you for doing what you do. When you get back to your formations, pass it on and recognize that you’re part of generational leadership within our armed forces and within our National Guard, so thank you for all that you do and thanks to your families as well.”
Approximately 140 Soldiers from the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division were deployed to Kosovo in 2022 as part of Task Force Pegasus and served as the aviation task force for NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East. There, they provided air mobility for all KFOR troops and supplies, as well as medical evacuations throughout the region.
During their deployment Task Force Pegasus aviation crews flew more than 1,700 accident-free flight hours, completing more than 275 aerial missions consisting of aerial reconnaissance, logistical resupply, troop transport and wildfire suppression. Five missions were multinational multi-ship flights. They also conducted 14 medical evacuation, or MedEvac, missions, two of which required the use of a rescue hoist.
Several Soldiers were awarded the Air Medal for their efforts during one of those MedEvac missions. On May 28, 2022, a five-person crew was called to the rugged terrain of Albania’s northern mountain range. There, the crew rescued two injured individuals via rescue hoist whose vehicle had rolled down a cliffside, causing injury to both.
“It is very unusual that you would see this awarded outside of wartime, and that just shows the complexity of the mission that they supported and lives that they saved,” said Lt. Col. Matthew C. Lewis, Task Force Pegasus commander. “This is not an award that is given out lightly and it’s something, as a collective whole, that everybody should be proud of because that’s part of our team, that represents us.”
The Air Medal is awarded or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight or for single acts of merit or heroism.
“This success was [because] we all work together as a team, we all trained with what we were going to do,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brady Lemmon, the team’s pilot in command. “There were things we trained on that we realized weren’t working out right. We all recognized it and adjusted it on the fly. I don't know if we could work together any better than we did.”
KFOR RC-East’s mission is to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo as mandated by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999.