The story behind The Story, Air National Guard

Veteran aviators of the California Army National Guard’s 40th Combat Aviation Brigade — Chief Warrant Officers 5 Kipp Goding and Joseph Rosamond — respond to questions during a Sept. 7, 2020 media round table at Cal Guard Aviation Facility in Fresno, California. Goding commanded a UH-60 Black Hawk, while Rosamond headed a CH-47 Chinook, into an unsafe area in the Sierra National Forest Sept. 5 to rescue hundreds of people trapped by the fast-moving Creek Fire. The pair — along with their respective flight teams — were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by President Donald Trump during a small Sept. 14 ceremony at McClellan Air Base, North Highlands, California. “To each of you: Your unyielding determination lifts our nation. You’re what makes our nation great,” said the president. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Eddie Siguenza)