AWARDED DFC: 1
CONFLICT/SPACE FLIGHT/EVENT:  GWOT
MODEL:  F-15E

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain John T. Hruby for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-l 5E Instructor Pilot, 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 31st Expeditionary Operations Group, 31st Air Expeditionary Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, during Operation ALLIED FORCE, on 28 April 1999. On that date, Captain Hruby led Lance 31, employing the Guided Bomb Unit-28 for the first time ever by F-15Es in combat. He was tasked to destroy tunnel entrances leading to bunkers storing enemy aircraft near the city of Pristina. The five-thousand-pound precision-guided "bunker buster" was the only viable weapon for this critical mission. Severe weather in the target area made it necessary for him to perform multiple passes over numerous missile threat rings over the heavily defended airfield. With his flight low on fuel, Captain Hruby coordinated for an emergency tanker. After returning to the target area, his tenacity paid off. With weather conditions still less than favorable, his formation was forced into using precise release parameters never before attempted with this weapon. He scored a direct hit on his aimpoint and subsequently guided another weapon released by his wingman. Despite the unfavorable weather, Captain Hruby's unwavering spirit to carry out the mission prevented Serbian fighter aircraft from seeing the light of day. Additionally, his superior skills prevented any opportunities for inflicting collateral damage on non-military targets. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Hruby reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.