Major Benjamin J. Coffey II and Captain Lacie E. Hester distinguished themselves by gallantry in action while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force as Mission Commanders deployed with the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, at an undisclosed location on 13 and 14 April 2024. The airmanship and discipline exhibited by Major Coffey and Captain Hester ensured the destruction of a mass aerial attack on Coalition Forces, consisting of over 200 low-altitude threats and 100 ballistic missiles. 

As airborne Mission Commanders, they took tactical control of a lane of eight F-16 and F-15E aircraft while battle-managing a 430-nautical-mile-wide area of responsibility. Major Coffey immediately recognized the imminent threat on their air-to-air radar while Captain Hester efficiently confirmed positive enemy identification, and without hesitation, they began to engage the low-altitude one-way attack drones. 

Major Coffey and Captain Hester bravely led their four-ship to achieve dozens of shootdowns in complete darkness and extreme proximity to the ground. Noticing an unprecedented number of enemy drones and missiles remaining and available missiles running low, they coordinated for fighter alert launches to bring fresh missiles to the fight. After achieving six air-to-air shootdowns, Major Coffey returned to base, handling a malfunctioning live AIM-120 missile while Captain Hester coordinated to fly another F-15E. 

While the base was receiving hostile fire, they continued to demonstrate incredible bravery by leaving the safety of bunkers as the explosions of base defense launches settled in the sky. Hurling themselves into a sky full of air interceptors and ballistic missiles, they were airborne again within 25 minutes. Major Coffey and Captain Hester received directions to snap south and to ignore all near-border operations as they intercepted an additional mass wave of enemy low-altitude aircraft, exhausting all missile employment options to achieve two additional shootdowns. With only an aerial gun remaining, Major Coffey and Captain Hester never stopped fighting.

While Captain Hester tracked a one-way attack drone through the targeting pod, Major Coffey utilized a laser marker and his night vision goggles to aim the 20MM cannon. Diving at more than 500 miles per hour, in unfamiliar terrain and with limited visibility due to low illumination, Major Coffey and Captain Hester accepted significant risk to themselves to ensure mission success. Due to the dangerously close pass while strafing to the explosive drone, they repositioned their aircraft to be an essential Command and Control node.

Recognising that there were no airborne forces positioned to engage most of the remaining threats, Major Coffey coordinated with partner forces to inform them of imminent inbound danger while Captain Hester worked diligently to pass information to the Combined Air Operations Center. Despite handling a second aircraft emergency, they successfully coordinated for partner forces to engage the remaining threats and directed the final US shootdown. Their unrelenting courage solidified a record-breaking eighty air-to-air shootdowns, prevented a major theatre-wide war, and was lauded by the President of the United States.  They are accordingly jointly awarded the Grand Master’s Award.

... of The Award for Gallantry

2008  Basra City IRT Crew - 28 (AC) Sqn RAF

2009 - 2010  not awarded

2011  Capt Michael Nerandzic (postumously)

2012  Crew of Rescue 195, 103 SAR Sqn RCAF and the SAR Technicians from Rescue 323, 424 Sqn RCAF

2013  not awarded

2014  Sqn Ldr Steven Deyes, Flt Lt Andrew Smith, Flt Sgt Daniel Baxter, Sgt Jonathan Frank of 27 Sqn RAF

2015  Sgt Daniel Allanson QGM

... of the Grand Master's Commendation

1982/83  Capt Drennen AAC

1984-1986  not awarded

1986/87  Len R Carolan Esq - Sec. Australian Region

1988-1989  not awarded

1989/90  Darrol Stinton Esq

1991  not awarded

1991/92  awarded twice:
      28 (AC) Sqn RAF
      Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force

1992/93  Professor Helen Muir

1993/94  The Crew of S61-A Helicopter (Royal Malaysian)

1995  not awarded

1995/96  The Red Arrows Winter Tour

1996/97  Frank Wootton Esq

1997/98  Maj N O'Brien

1998/99  Willam G Scull

1999/2000 awarded twice:
       Sqn Ldr Frederick Da Costa RAF
       Sqn Ldr Paul Day RAF

2000/01  7 Sqn RAF - Chinook Operations in Sierra Leone

2001/02  Sqn Ldr Richard Phillips RAF

2002/03  Peter Charles Tait

2003/04  Flt Lt Jonathan Paul Michael Adamson RAF

2004/05  Sqn Ldr John Hector Francis McNeill-Matthews RAF

2005/06  202 Sqn RAF

2006/07  1 (F) Sqn RAF

2007/08  Royal Air Force Odiham Chinook Force

2008/09  The Crew of "Blackcat 22"

2009/10  Flt Lt Ian Fortune DFC

2010/11 awarded twice:
      Captain Mathew Noble-Clarke AAC
      51 Sqn RAF

2011/12  Roger Bailey MRAeS MSETP

2013  not awarded

2013/14  Flt Lt Timothy Eddy RAF

2014/15  1 Regt AAC

2016 awarded twice:
      Commando Helicopter Force
      Flt Lt Michael Jones RAF

2017  Cdr Bertie W Vigrass OBE VRD RNR

2018  Lt Amy Gilmore RN and CPO Ian Toms - 216 Flight 815 NAS

2019 - 2020  not awarded

The Grand Master's Award

2021  Crew of NZ3301

2022  Squadron Leader Mark Parker RAF

2023  not awarded

2024 not awarded