Air Force Maj. Ryan Hayde, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot, received the Distinguished the Flying Cross medal during a Sept. 30 ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for his key role in attacking enemy positions and providing close air support in Afghanistan last year. Records show that despite bad weather, Hayde cleared helicopter landing zones of improvised explosive devices on Oct. 29, 2010. He also coordinated operations with several Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, to clear out hostile troops who were poised to attack troop helicopters from nearby mountain ridges. Hayde’s action enabled a 150-man cadre of troops to land safely, and capture more than 25,000 pounds of explosives and 40 kilograms of opium.
