Combat Controllers (CCT) are elite special operations forces who specialize in all aspects of air-ground communication, air traffic control, fire support, and command and control in austere environments. This site is dedicated to their legacy.
CERTIFIED BADASSES
TSgt Jeffrey Bray
24th STSCoordinated gunship fire during the "Black Hawk Down" incident, saving numerous lives.
SSgt Dan Schilling
24th STSServed as ground-air communicator and unofficial medic during the intense street battles of Mogadishu.
SrA Zachary Rhyner
21st STSBattle of Shok Valley (2008). First living recipient of the Air Force Cross in the Global War on Terror.
SSgt Robert Gutierrez
21st STSBattle of Herat (2009). Called in danger-close airstrikes while shot in the chest, saving his team.
SSgt Ralph Guthrie
23rd STSDistinguished himself during Operation Medusa (2006) while attached to a Special Forces ODA. Orchestrated a relentless volume of precision airstrikes, neutralizing critical enemy positions under intense fire.
TSgt Ismael Villegas
21st STSTwo-time Silver Star recipient for actions in Afghanistan (2009, 2011), exemplifying sustained valor.
SSgt Dale Young
Attached to Army Special ForcesUnder continuous enemy fire for 94 hours in Afghanistan (2009), ensuring effective fires on enemy positions.
SrA Dustin Temple
21st STSExposed himself to enemy fire repeatedly in Sept 2011 to direct numerous airstrikes and save his team.
TSgt Clint Campbell
23rd STSDirected 22 airstrikes in Kandahar Province (2010), neutralizing a massive enemy force.
SSgt Evan Jones
22nd STSAfghanistan (2008). Coordinated close air support and returned fire despite being wounded.
Capt Barry Crawford Jr.
21st STSSaved the lives of three wounded Afghan soldiers and evacuated two KIA during a 2010 ambush.
MSgt John A. Chapman
24th STS (KIA 2002)Battle of Takur Ghar. Expertly coordinated air support and engaged enemy combatants alone to save his team.
SSgt Andrew Harvell
24th STS (KIA 2011)"Big Andy." Silver Star (2x), Bronze Star (3x), Purple Heart (2x). Killed in the Chinook Extortion 17 crash.
Capt Matthew Roland
23rd STS (KIA 2015)Silver Star. Sacrificed himself to alert his convoy of an insider attack in Afghanistan, saving his team.
SSgt Forrest Sibley
21st STS (KIA 2015)Bronze Star (V). Killed in action at a vehicle checkpoint in Afghanistan alongside Capt Roland.
SSgt Sean Harvell
22nd STS (Died 2016)Awarded two Silver Stars for actions in 2007. A warrior who drowned in 2016 near his home in Long Beach.
SSgt Scott Sather
24th STS (KIA 2003)First enlisted Airman killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bronze Star (V).
SrA Mark Forester
21st STS (KIA 2010)Silver Star. Killed in action while saving a teammate in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
TSgt Daniel Zerbe
24th STS (KIA 2011)Bronze Star (V). Killed in the Extortion 17 Chinook crash alongside Andrew Harvell.
TSgt Marty Bettelyoun
321st STS (Died 2015)A warrior who died during military freefall training. Dedicated mentor to younger controllers.
MSgt Charles Paradise
8th Aerial Port Sq (KIA 1967)Lost in a C-123 crash in Vietnam along with 3 other controllers. The largest single loss of CCT life in that war.
This list is a small fraction of the brave men who have served. For a complete memorial, please visit the Combat Control Foundation.