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Air Force personnel honored for 2016 combat resupply drop

Posted at 2:50 AM, Jan 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-05 02:50:29-05

CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) - The Air Force says two service members are being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their roles in making a combat resupply drop of ammunition to ground forces in danger of being overrun during an enemy attack on a forward operating base in Afghanistan.
    
Officials at Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico say Capt. Charlotte A. Rabbe was a combat systems officer on a MC-130J special operations aircraft and Staff Sgt. Gary P. Bjerke the plane's loadmaster during the Jan. 5, 2016 engagement.
    
Award citations said enemy fire hit the aircraft multiple times as it successfully dropped the ammunition to a Special Forces team at the base.
    
Cannon officials say Rabbe is 29 and from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, while Bjerke is 25 and from Waukesha, Wisconsin.