FEBRUARY 24, 2026 – Six New York Army National Guard Soldiers who helped rescue 34 French special forces during an August 2023 firefight in Iraq received the French equivalent of the Bronze Star during a Feb. 22 ceremony at Army Aviation Support Facility 2.
The Soldiers, assigned to B Company of the 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Battalion, were presented with the French National Defense Gold Medal with Bronze Star during the ceremony in Rochester.
The aviation Soldiers were honored for providing rapid aerial support to French special operations forces who were pinned down under enemy fire near Hawija, Iraq, on the night of Aug. 28 and 29, 2023. The French unit was conducting a mission against ISIS terrorists.
Major General Michel Natali, the New York National Guard’s assistant adjutant general, Army, who presented the French medals, praised the Soldiers for their quick response in loading up and moving a French quick reaction force of 30 troops into the fight.
“We’re very proud of what they’ve done as aviators, but I’d say more importantly, I’m very proud of them being New York National Guard Soldiers,” Natali said after the ceremony.
“The operation they were involved in happened in the dark of night,” he told reporters.
“The French government did not have to recognize our Soldiers, but they went that extra mile to identify our Soldiers who were working that evening to keep their soldiers safe. We’re very appreciative of what the French government has done in recognizing our troops,” Natali said.
The medals were authorized by French General Thierry Burkhard, then France’s Chief of National Defense Staff, in March 2024.
At the time of the mission, the New York Army National Guard aviation crews were on standby at Erbil Air Base as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational effort to counter the Islamic State group terrorist operations in the region.
When the approximately 35 French Special Forces troops took casualties and requested reinforcement and extraction, two CH-47F Chinook helicopters crewed by the Rochester-based B Company launched in support.
Within 30 minutes, the aircrews loaded about 30 French commandos to relieve them and flew nearly 70 miles to the objective area, then stayed nearby, ready to provide follow-on support.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christopher Scott, a Rochester resident who served as air mission commander during the operation, said uncertainty upon arrival created immediate challenges.
“The biggest challenge was not knowing the situation on the ground or what support we had until we got on station,” said Scott, who joined the New York Army National Guard in 2002.
He added that once they made radio contact and confirmed their location, they adjusted the grid, coordinated with the other aircraft and their crews and identified the support available to them.
Scott said the crew’s preparation and cohesion were critical to executing the mission successfully.
“I’m most proud of the way the crew came together,” he said. “They had the aircraft ready to go.”
“While I was receiving the mission, the crew was already preparing the aircraft,” Scott said.
Once Scott briefed them, they conducted a short planning session on the way and were ready to execute.
Sgt. Jedediah Estrada, a Horseheads resident who served as a door gunner during the mission, said the recognition carries lasting personal meaning.
“Afterward, I read the French press release about the death of Sgt. Nicolas Mazier, [the] paratrooper with the French commandos who was killed in combat,” Estrada said. “I’ve remembered him ever since.”
“Being honored by the French government is a way for me to continue honoring his legacy – not just what our unit was able to do, but what we accomplished together with our partner force,” Estrada said.
“It really brings together why we were there and what we were working to defeat,” he added.
Also recognized during the ceremony were:
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Aaron Taylor of Blasdell, New York, who is now retired but has served in the New York National Guard since 2009.
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jared Twigg of Rochester, who joined the New York Army National Guard in 2007.
- Staff Sgt. Samuel Sacco of Lockport, New York, who enlisted in the Army Guard in 2004, served until 2012, and then reenlisted in 2019.
- Sgt. Zachary Albright of Elba, New York, who enlisted in the New York Army Guard in 2022. Albright is attending a military school and was unable to attend the ceremony.
The French National Defense Medal, known as the Médaille de la Défense nationale, was established April 21, 1982, by then French Minister of Defense Charles Hernu to recognize honorable and meritorious service in support of France’s national defense.
The medal is awarded in three grades, bronze, silver and gold, reflecting increasing levels of distinguished service. The gold grade recognizes particularly distinguished contributions to national defense.
When accompanied by a bronze star device, the medal signifies the recipient was officially recognized at the regimental or brigade level for notable operational service during multinational missions.
The decoration may be awarded to both French service members and allied military personnel and serves as a symbol of professional excellence and international military cooperation.
Detachment 1 of B Company operates seven CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from Army Aviation Support Facility No. 2 at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport.
The unit falls under the 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade’s 642nd Aviation Support Battalion and has conducted numerous deployments overseas and disaster response operations at home.
By New York National Guard