AUGUST 24, 2026 — Master Sgt. Daniel Rogers, senior enlisted leader of the 123rd Air Control Squadron, received the Bronze Star Aug. 1 for his actions during a deployment in which he safeguarded more than 320 coalition personnel while under attack by small-arms fire, 170 mm rockets and mortars exploding less than 150 meters from his position.
During the assault Aug. 11, 2025, Rogers expedited system maintenance to restore the Combined Fighter Air Control’s common operating picture, assisting forces in rapidly geolocating and eliminating five enemy mortar sites.
Serving with the Army’s 5th Special Forces Group, Rogers synchronized 20 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to strengthen the base defense zone. His efforts ultimately contributed to the killing or capture of five high-value Islamic State of Iraq and Syria targets.
During Operation Midnight Hammer, Rogers executed a cryptographic changeover that maintained uninterrupted battle management and 100% accountability for 120 joint aircraft. He also helped enable the offload of 200,000 pounds of fuel, supporting the expenditure of 480,000 pounds of ordnance against three presidentially directed targets intended to cripple Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities.
Rogers also led the deployment of $2 million in line-of-sight and satellite radio communications, as well as tactical data links supporting 173 battle management operators, cyberspace experts and two joint quick-response task force teams. His work enabled the control of more than 180 air task orders and 3,000 joint and combined combat sorties in support of operations Air Resolve and Spartan Shield.
As the mission expanded, Rogers established a new communications location more than 150 miles away, extending joint air defense command-and-control effects across 77,000 square miles. The new capability helped integrate 13 air and missile defense batteries and defensive counterair assets used to intercept 1,200 ballistic missiles and attack drones during Operation Rising Lion.
The effort helped defend 40,000 coalition personnel across a 1.3 million-square-mile area while giving forces greater access to imminent threat warnings.
Rogers was not selected simply to fill a position. Lt. Col. Ryan Ormond, commander of the 123rd Air Control Squadron, said the deployment required identifying the right people for each location and ensuring they could be trusted to perform under pressure.
“I need two of the right people,” Ormond said. “It has to be the right people, the right teams at all of the locations.”
When Ormond was told Rogers would be one of those people, he knew he had the right person for the job.
“‘Rogers and Breitfelder.’ I was like, ‘Those are the guys, I trust those guys,’” Ormond said.
That trust reflected the larger team Rogers was part of throughout the deployment. Ormond emphasized the squadron’s collective responsibility to accomplish the mission, describing its approach simply as “one team, one fight.”
The Bronze Star recognizes Rogers’ individual actions, but his work during the deployment extended beyond a single position or mission. From maintaining communications under enemy fire to expanding air defense capabilities and keeping aircraft connected to battle management systems, Rogers helped ensure forces had the information and connections they needed to carry out their missions and protect personnel.
By Airman 1st Class Teagan Coffman
178th Wing