'08 Academy grad to receive Jabara Award

  • Published
  • By Steven Simon
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Development and Alumni Programs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  A 2008 Air Force Academy graduate and A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot will receive the 2015 Col. James Jabara Award for combat sorties he flew in Afghanistan.

Capt. Kyle Babbitt, of Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., was one of eight Academy graduates nominated for the award given annually to an Academy graduate.

According to the award documents, Babbitt distinguished himself as the A-10 community's most active combat pilot in terms of sorties and hours flown while deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from September 2013 to October 2014.

"His combat service in Afghanistan over the last 13 months has been nothing short of remarkable," said Col. Scott Caine, the 9th Air Forces vice commander, in a memo endorsing Babbitt's nomination.

In Afghanistan, Babbitt flew more than 130 combat sorties and amassed over 470 combat hours in support of American, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Afghanistan National Security Forces.

Babbitt attacked high-value targets and individuals on 14 occasions while deployed, overcoming difficult weather, visibility problems, dangerous terrain and communication issues, according to the award documents. He also conducted more than 20 low-altitude shows of force, saved coalition forces pinned down by small arms and machine gun fire, and coordinated operations with other aircraft, including AC-130 gunships and AH-64 Apache helicopters.

"This year's competition was extremely tough, and you can be proud of your selection," said Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson in a congratulatory letter to Babbitt. "It is a true testament of your exemplary performance and professionalism."

The Col. James Jabara Airmanship Award was established in 1967 and is presented to an Academy graduate, living or deceased, whose actions directly associated with an aerospace vehicle set them apart from their contemporaries.

Among previous Col. James Jabara award winners are Vietnam War veterans Karl Richter and Steve Ritchie, pioneering astronaut Karol Bobko and U.S. Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger (Class of '73), who safely landed Flight 1549 on the Hudson River off Manhattan, Jan. 15, 2009.

Jabara was the first jet ace and the second leading ace in the Korean War. In 1951, he won the Air Force Association's most prestigious award and in 1957 was recognized as one of the 25 Americans who contributed the most to aviation.

The award is jointly presented on behalf of the Academy, the Association of Graduates and the Jabara family.

(Simon in an Academy Class of '77 graduate)