February 18, 200916 yr Have to disagree on a few: Flying into a DZ/LZ under fire, YES. Not necessarily. In a helicopter at an LZ where you fight your way in and out, Yes. C-17/130 landing and a mortar happens to hit nearby or some sees a tracer in the distance.. NO. Watching a MANPADS launch and reacting, YES. If you are in an aircraft that a MANPAS has a reasonable chance of killing you maybe. Flying into a location where the chance of being engaged is greater than 90%, Yes. In a C-17 where a MANPADS hit was mistaken for a catastrophic engine failure, NO. Being in a chow hall that receives a direct mortar hit and despite ringing ears and dizzy head, you help with caring for wounded, YES. Absolutely not. When this Medal was created it was clearly stated that being in the wrong place and the wrong time was not sufficient to meet the criteria. You need to be engaged in combat to receive this medal. A chance hit from a MANPADS or sitting in a chow hall and being hit by indirect fire does not constitute being engaged in combat.
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