Three airmen who survived the attack on Tower 22 receive Purple Hearts

According to the Air Force, three service members received the Purple Heart earlier this month for injuries sustained in a Jan. 28 drone strike in Jordan.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Byrne, Senior Airman Herland Antezana and Staff Sgt. Dustin Dinkelacker, all from the 129th Rescue Squadron, were presented the honor Oct. 5 at Moffett Air National Guard Base, California, where they are stationed.

They also received the Air and Space Commendation Medal for supporting their injured comrades after the attack.

In total, 38 National Guard members received Purple Hearts for injuries sustained during the attack on Tower 22, according to a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau.

Three Army Reserve soldiers were killed and 41 Guardsmen were injured in the attack, which the US attributed to Iranian-backed militias.

That evening, all of the airmen were rendered unconscious by the attack.

After they came to, they began knocking on doors to warn others at the base of another possible attack, according to the Air Force. They retreated to the safety of a bunker, assisted in providing medical care to service members in need, and coordinated the evacuation of deceased service members.

Each airman acted to help others without regard for their personal safety, their awards say.

“We ran to the center of the action,” Byrne said in a statement. “At that point we realized this wasn’t a training thing. This is real life.”

Byrne praised his training for allowing him to respond so quickly and efficiently. Just days earlier, the Guardsmen had rehearsed for the possibility of a mass casualty event.

After the attack, the three guardsmen put out fires, rescued those trapped in the rubble, and focused on others’ injuries rather than their own until reinforcements arrived.

“That’s when we realized what impact this was having [drone] “This was done to us when the adrenaline began to subside,” Antezana said in a statement. “We weren’t doing well at that point.”

Eventually their wounds were treated and they all returned home safely in May.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am,” Maj. Gen. Steven Butow, commander of the California Air National Guard, said during the ceremony. “I hope you all carry this with great pride and honor.”

The tragedy served as a difficult reminder for Byrne of his fallen comrades, but also of the importance the military has for those who join it.

“For a long time I thought of myself as just a mechanic,” Byrne said. “Don’t downplay your job once you get in. Everyone is important.”