(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO-3) Lori Hill, United States Army, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as Pilot of a Kiowa helicopter of the 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, in Support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 21 March 2006 in Iraq. Chief Warrant Officer Three Hill and another helicopter were flying convoy security for two Bradley vehicles on patrol in a small village. They learned of an attack at a nearby command center involving both U.S. and Iraqi forces, so they responded to provide air support. On the way they ran into a concentrated attack with rocket propelled grenades and machine gun fire. They laid down suppressing fire but the two aircraft continued on. When they arrived at the command center, they were greeted with machine gun fire, so they broke away and headed back in, shooting at the tracer fire. Drawing the fire away from the lead helo, Chief Warrant Officer Three Hill established communications with the ground troops, and provided suppressive fire for troops engaged with the enemy on the ground until they reached safety. On the third pass, a rocket-propelled grenade hit her, damaging the helo’s instrumentation. As she was banking away, the helicopter took machine gun fire which hit Chief Warrant Officer Three Hill in the foot. The aircraft was losing transmission power, as well as hydraulics, which prevented the copter from hovering, a crucial maneuver for landing. So, with a damaged aircraft and injury, she made an emergency landing at a nearby forward operating base, saving her crew and aircraft.