AWARDED DFC: 2
CONFLICT/SPACE FLIGHT/EVENT:  GWOT
MODEL:  H-60, MH-60T

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander Brian A. Kudrle, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight from 25 to 30 August 2017, as an Aircraft Commander aboard Coast Guard MH-60T helicopters during Hurricane Harvey rescue operations. In the immediate wake of the hurricane, Lieutenant Commander Kudrle courageously flew through winds in excess of 80 knots near the eye of the storm to rescue two survivors clinging desperately to a heavily damaged, roofless home surrounded by rising storm surge floodwaters. Battling severe turbulence, Lieutenant Commander Kudrle carefully hoisted the survivors through downed power lines, trees, and storm debris and transferred them to Corpus Christi Hospital for medical care. Spearheading the Coast Guard’s MH-60T response in Houston, Texas, Lieutenant Commander Kudrle led his crew into an unknown situation as they braved strong wind, torrential rain, and near zero visibility. On Scene, he immediately affected four medical evacuations and hoisted 23 survivors from an inundated apartment complex. In the evening, while hovering above wires with the aircraft's rotor blades mere feet from treetops, Lieutenant Commander Kudrle expertly conducted a litter hoist of a quadriplegic through tall trees amongst flailing power lines from an air mattress floating in the flood waters below. With cloud ceilings at 400 feet and visibility reduced to one eighth of a mile, he then skillfully navigated around towers at night to deliver the patient to a hospital pad fouled by overhanging cranes. Performing at the extreme limits of his skill and endurance, Lieutenant Commander Kudrle flew over 30 hours of arduous day and night rescue missions in an unfamiliar urban disaster environment. Lieutenant Commander Kudrle's actions, aeronautical skill and heroism were instrumental in the rescue of 107 lives. His courage, judgment and devotion to duty in the face of hazardous flying conditions are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.

2.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Gold Star in Lieu of a Second) to Lieutenant Commander Brian A. Kudrle, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial on the night of 2 March 2021 as Aircraft Commander aboard CGNR 6039. He directed his crew to launch to assist the Canadian F/V Atlantic Destiny, disabled by an engine-room fire and taking on water 200 miles east of Air Station Cape Cod with 31 crew on board. Coaxing maximum performance from the helicopter while battling freezing spray and 60-knot winds, he located the darkened fishing vessel adrift and heaving violently in the 30-foot seas. Demonstrating superior airmanship, Lieutenant Commander Kudrle successfully wrestled the helicopter into position over the four by six foot hoist area. Nearly losing sight of the vessel as he attempted to deliver a trail line, he maneuvered still closer to the swaying superstructure, successfully delivering a dewatering pump. The perilous on-scene conditions demanded Lieutenant Commander Kudrle utilize all of his exceptional piloting skills simply to maintain a steady hover near the vessel, fighting 20 degree pitch attitude excursions, sudden 30 degree heading changes und large altitude deviations as the vessel was tossed about beneath the aircraft. Noting dangerous procedural differences with the Canadian SAR technicians tending the trail line and loading survivors in the rescue basket, he ordered his crew to rectify the situation to prevent injury to the survivors. As CGNR 6039 became laden with survivors, he meticulously managed power near aircraft limits as he battled to keep the aircraft stable. Despite extreme physical and mental fatigue, he flew another 125 miles to a safe landing at an unfamiliar, foreign airfield in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, landing with less than 30 minutes available fuel. Lieutenant Commander Kudrle’s actions, aeronautical skill and heroism were instrumental in the rescue of 13 people. His courage, judgment and devotion. to duty in the face of hazardous flying conditions are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.