The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Airman’s Medal to Technical Sergeant Michael A. Wayt, United States Air Force, for heroism involving voluntary risk of life at Mount McKinley, Alaska, on 23 May 1991. On that date, Sergeant Wayt rescued a climber suffering from high altitude sickness. Facing life threatening weather conditions, and with disregard for his own safety, Sergeant Wayt led a twenty-one hour evacuation of the victim from seventeen thousand to fifteen thousand feet down a fifty degree slope. When the safety rope let loose without warning, Sergeant Wayt quickly arrested a rapid descent, preventing the two from tumbling hundreds of feet to a crevasse field. By his courageous action and humanitarian regard for his fellowman, Sergeant Wayt has reflected great credit on himself and the United States Air Force.