New warfare medal recognizes remote combat operations

WASHINGTON — They fight the war from computer consoles and video screens.

But the troops who launch the drone strikes and direct the cyberattacks that can kill or disable an enemy may never set foot in the combat zone. Now their battlefield contributions may be recognized with the first new combat-related medal to be created in decades.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Wednesday that the Pentagon is creating a medal that can be awarded to troops who have a direct impact on combat operations, but do it well away from any combat zone.

Officials at Creech Air Force Base, 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas, had no comment Wednesday about the new Distinguished Warfare Medal or potential candidates for receiving them.

The Indian Springs base is the nation’s hub for unmanned aerial systems, known as remotely piloted aircraft, that can be launched near combat zones and controlled by pilots and sensor operators thousands of miles away.

The drones, such as MQ-1 Predators or larger MQ-9 Reapers, can be launched from bases in Southwest Asia and used to spy on Taliban and insurgent activities in Afghanistan, for example, and launch missile strikes against them.

During the Iraq War in December 2003, Predators controlled by crews from the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at a Nellis Air Force Base command center helped U.S. soldiers capture Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Predators were involved in the rescue of Jessica Lynch, the Army supply clerk who was held prisoner at a hospital in Nasiriya, Iraq, in the early stages of the war.

Officials said the new medal will be the first combat-related award to be created since the Bronze Star in 1944. The medal will be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star, but is lower than the Silver Star, defense officials said.

Review-Journal writer Keith Rogers contributed to this report.