The United States’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan got a lot of media attention, but very little of that was on the stories of the actual people on the ground.
Most of the coverage was on the overall picture, but now, the story of a Manitowoc native’s heroic actions is being told.
In an article published in the Air Force Times, Staff Sergeant Duncan Copley tells the story of how he flew three planes full of Afghan refugees out of the country.
When he first landed at Kabul Airport, the U.S. had control of the airfield and had cleared it of all Afghans looking to flee.
Copley’s first two flights out of the country were “business as usual” however just days before his third flight, the deadly bombing at the gate that killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 American servicemen took place.
His plane was loaded with 245 refugees when he got a call over the radio reporting a bombing attempt.
Copley kept his cool and was able to keep the passengers calm as his aircraft was searched for explosives.
The search was completed, and the plane took off with no further issues.
When interviewed after the fact, Copley said “I could have died that day. It could have happened, and I can accept that.”
Due to these actions, Copley has been honored as the Military Times’ 2022 Airman of the Year.
Click here to read the full story.
