U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa commander, awards Capt. Lacie Hester, 494th Fighter Squadron F-15E weapon systems officer, with the Silver Star during a ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, Nov. 12, 2024.

ABC News

The Air Force has awarded the Silver Star to a female airman for the first time following her role in the shootdown of more than 80 Iranian drones that were part of Iran's large missile and drone attack on Israel in mid-April.

The historic award of the nation's third-highest award for valor to a female airman comes at a time when the role of women in ground combat units has been front and center because of critical comments made by Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be the next defense secretary.

Capt. Lacie "Sonic" Hester, an F-15E instructor weapons systems officer, is the first Air Force woman to receive the Silver Star and only the 10th female service member ever to receive the award. Also receiving the Silver Star on Tuesday was her pilot, Maj. Benjamin "Irish" Coffey, for his role in coordinating the shootdowns from their two-seat fighter and then using all of their missiles and their fighter's Gatling guns to bring down some of the drones.

Tuesday's award ceremony at their home base of Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom honored the men and women of the 494th Fighter Squadron and the 494th Fighter Generation Squadron with two Silver Stars, six Distinguished Flying Crosses with the valor device, four Distinguished Flying Crosses with the combat device, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, seven Air and Space Commendation Medals and seven Air and Space Achievement Medals.

On the night of April 13, Iran launched more than 300 ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for an Israeli missile strike in Damascus, Syria, that killed a top Iranian commander. U.S. military aircraft and naval ships helped Israel in bringing down 99% of the weapons Iran fired at Israel in the attack.

The actions by the U.S. Air Force units involved in the shootdown of about 80 Iranian drones have been described as the largest air-to-air enemy engagement by the United States in over 50 years. Soon after the attack, President Joe Biden reached out to the commanders of the two units involved, the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, to praise their units' actions.

One of those commanders was Lt. Col. Timothy "Diesel" Causey, the commander of the 494th Fighter Squadron.

"We all fell into an execution rhythm: Call, shoot, and confirm the target was destroyed before we moved on to the next task we had to accomplish to keep everyone safe," Causey said in a U.S. Air Force story about this week's ceremony.

On the night of April 13, the F-15E's from his squadron flew 14 sorties from an undisclosed base in the Middle East to shoot down the incoming drones. Patriot air defense missiles at the base were also fired to intercept the drones. Some of those fighters had to return and refuel before going back up to engage more of the drones, some of which occurred so close to that base that some of the falling debris landed on that base >>>