{"id":20016,"date":"2022-07-12T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/12\/c-17-loadmaster-led-crew-through-onboard-bomb-threat-in-kabul-evacuation\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:39:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:39:24","slug":"c-17-loadmaster-led-crew-through-onboard-bomb-threat-in-kabul-evacuation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/military-honor\/2022\/07\/12\/c-17-loadmaster-led-crew-through-onboard-bomb-threat-in-kabul-evacuation\/","title":{"rendered":"C-17 loadmaster led crew through onboard bomb threat in Kabul evacuation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Staff Sgt. Duncan Copley knows the risks he runs each time he heads out on a C-17 transport mission. But virtually nothing could have prepared him for the message that came across his headset in August 2021:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have credible intel that there could be a bomb on board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley\u2019s calm under pressure as a loadmaster during Operation Allies Refuge, the frantic effort to evacuate more than 124,000 people from Afghanistan last summer, earned him Military Times\u2019 2022 Airman of the Year award.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/08\/17\/the-last-runway-out-of-kabul-us-transport-jets-face-complex-evacuation-mission\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AfghanKabulAirportTakeover.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The last runway out of Kabul: US transport jets face complex evacuation mission<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cTime needs to be on their side. \u2026 Minutes are precious.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley, 23, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is a C-17 Globemaster III loadmaster instructor at the 3rd Airlift Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He joined the Air Force in December 2017 to follow in the footsteps of his father, a Marine veteran, and other family members who served in the armed forces. He initially shied away from working in cargo, but gave it a shot and came to enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a year of technical training, Copley moved to Dover, a major transportation hub for U.S. presidents. He began flying presidential airlift missions during the Trump administration in February 2019, and deployed to Kuwait for about three months that year to move military personnel around the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/09\/24\/the-air-force-evacuated-124000-people-from-afghanistan-but-its-work-still-isnt-done\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q75-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Air Force evacuated 124,000 people from Afghanistan, but its work still isn\u2019t done<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S. Air Force is pivoting from orchestrating the massive exodus of over 124,000 Afghans and Americans from a country once again under Taliban rule, to a quieter role helping even more people leave on commercial and privately organized flights.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Newly elected President Joe Biden pledged in April 2021 to bring troops home within five months, an exit meant to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5092\" height=\"3395\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2342\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg 5092w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/C-17-Globemaster-III.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5092px) 100vw, 5092px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Air Force aircrew, assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, loads qualified evacuees aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, Aug. 21. (Senior Airman Taylor Crul\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. launched Operation Allies Refuge in July, a military-led effort to bring special immigrant visa holders, applicants and prospective applicants who had helped the U.S. push for democracy there to safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley hadn\u2019t been tasked to ferry troops or materiel out of Afghanistan since the withdrawal picked up speed over the summer. He tracked some developments on social media as the situation grew more chaotic, but had largely checked out while visiting his girlfriend\u2019s family in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then he got a call that caught him off guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2018When you get back, you\u2019re flying immediately,\u2019\u201d Copley said his supervisor told him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The airman made the 16-hour drive back to Delaware, scrambled to gather what he needed at home, and deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar Aug. 16. He wasn\u2019t sure what lay ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBeing told about this mass-scale evacuation, I didn\u2019t know what to think,\u201d Copley said. \u201cWe\u2019re going [to U.S. Central Command] so often that the risks become normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/06\/14\/airmen-cleared-of-wrongdoing-in-deaths-of-afghans-who-mobbed-c-17-during-kabul-evacuation\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21231337150748.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Airmen cleared of wrongdoing in deaths of Afghans who mobbed C-17 during Kabul evacuation<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Several Afghans fell to their deaths when the Globemaster III took off, and human remains were found in a wheel well when it landed at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After taking a few days to settle into Al Udeid, Copley received his first assignment to Kabul. Neither he nor the aeromedical crew boarding the same jet were clear on what the mission would entail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1170\" height=\"851\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7D9E18CE-D19B-47A1-AFC6-F44586120995.jpeg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7D9E18CE-D19B-47A1-AFC6-F44586120995.jpeg.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7D9E18CE-D19B-47A1-AFC6-F44586120995.jpeg.jpg?resize=300,218 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7D9E18CE-D19B-47A1-AFC6-F44586120995.jpeg.jpg?resize=768,559 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7D9E18CE-D19B-47A1-AFC6-F44586120995.jpeg.jpg?resize=1024,745 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Afghans cling to a U.S. Air Force C-17 as it takes off from a runway in Kabul. (Screenshot via Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When his C-17 touched down at Kabul\u2019s Hamid Karzai International Airport, Copley was pleasantly surprised that the U.S. military had gained control of the airfield \u2014 in stark contrast with the mobbed runway that had gone viral on social media earlier that month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They picked up four Afghans in need of medical attention, including a man in critical condition. About 250 more people joined them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One translator who happened to be on the flight stood out, working with the Americans and making sure the passengers understood what was happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need this guy to work for us,\u201d Copley joked to other airmen in Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He ran into the translator soon after on a flight from Al Udeid to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI thought that was awesome \u2014 I saw firsthand something that I did,\u201d Copley said. \u201cI brought him back, and then we got him moved into the system and he was out there helping us make sure the whole airlift went efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first two flights into Kabul, loading passengers onto the plane felt almost like business as usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll the gears are turning, every agency was working well together to make sure that people were coming out to the aircraft. It felt pretty normal,\u201d Copley said.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link smg-interstitial-link--fallback wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__fallback-link\">Read all Military Times coverage of the Afghanistan withdrawal and beyond<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their third and final mission began the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was Aug. 28, two days after an Islamic State militant blew himself up at the airport\u2019s Abbey Gate entrance, killing at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attack put Copley on edge. Before leaving on his last mission to Kabul, he texted the two people closest to him who could understand his fear: his father, the Marine vet, and his girlfriend, a Wisconsin Army National Guardsman who works in field artillery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His dad texted back \u201cthe most Marine Corps thing,\u201d Copley said: \u201cGo do your job. Go do it well. I\u2019ll see you when you get home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/04\/03\/hell-at-abbey-gate-chaos-confusion-and-death-in-the-final-days-of-the-war-in-afghanistan\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20220402-Abbey-Gate-Afghanistan-3.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hell at Abbey Gate: Chaos, confusion and death in the final days of the war in Afghanistan<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">In firsthand accounts, Afghan civilians and U.S. Marines describe the desperate struggle to flee through the Kabul airport\u2019s last open entrance.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley was told they\u2019d receive around 235 refugees that day and brought them in as usual. The airmen counted about 10 more passengers than expected, and reported it to air traffic control ahead of takeoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air traffic control told them to wait; several minutes passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2022\/02\/18\/afghan-evacuees-to-us-werent-fully-vetted-and-dozens-reportedly-went-missing\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21345009119398.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Afghan evacuees to U.S. weren\u2019t fully vetted and dozens reportedly went missing<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The issue was investigated by the Defense Department&#039;s inspector general in the wake of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then the radio crackled to life, warning that the U.S. had intercepted a phone call about a bombing attempt. No one spoke. Copley nervously chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need you to listen closely. Do exactly as we say. Do not let anybody know that we know that there is a possible threat,\u201d he recalled the control tower saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley had the nerve-wracking task of announcing to the Afghans that they needed to deplane so Marines could search for explosives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some passengers balked \u2014 the C-17 was their lifeline out of the country \u2014 but eventually complied. The Marines checked each person and their bags, conducted a security sweep of the jet and cleared it to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2022\/01\/27\/afghan-evacuation-flights-to-resume-with-streamlined-process\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21362387313919.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Afghan evacuation flights to resume with streamlined process<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Flights from Afghanistan to Qatar are set to resume while the immigration process for Afghans is being trimmed from years to months.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley and his crew had already worked longer than 24 hours straight when their aircraft finally got the all-clear to depart, and blew past their 26-hour shift limit while in the air back to Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He arrived at Al Udeid rattled, but safe. He\u2019s not sure what became of the alleged bomb, if it existed at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile I\u2019m doing my job \u2026 I don\u2019t have time to think about the \u2018what ifs,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we were told that there was a credible threat on board, I didn\u2019t get to have an opinion. I didn\u2019t let myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"536\" height=\"680\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/C17.jfif_.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/C17.jfif_.jpg 536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/C17.jfif_.jpg?resize=236,300 236w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Air Force confirmed a stunning logistical feat, saying that more than 800 Afghan citizens were aboard a C-17 Globemaster III as it left Hamid Karzai International Airport on Sunday. (Air Force photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters after the Abbey Gate attack that U.S. officials believed the airport still faced \u201cspecific, credible\u201d threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capt. Taylor Drolshagen, who flies the EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack plane, told Air Force Times in February that \u201cmany Americans are alive today who wouldn\u2019t be\u201d if Compass Call crews hadn\u2019t monitored the Kabul airport from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She declined to answer whether an EC-130H had remotely stopped a bomb from detonating onboard the transport jet, as it can for improvised explosive devices planted on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy guys were directly involved with saving lives both on the ground and also in the C-17s,\u201d Drolshagen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/06\/15\/call-of-duty\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cc_three.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">This Compass Call squadron was deployed in Afghanistan for 20 years. Here\u2019s their inside story.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The EC-130H Compass Call worked behind the scenes for two decades in Afghanistan, from supporting the arrival of special forces, to the bin Laden raid and the Kabul evacuation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the months that followed, Copley struggled to process his emotions. He\u2019s fought off impostor syndrome, whispering that his trauma isn\u2019t valid because a bomb never went off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI could have died that day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt could have happened and I can accept that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fonder moments remain, too. Copley made sure his passengers were cared for, refusing to leave until they had enough water on board to make it through a flight. On one trip, he befriended a few young Afghan boys and, pulling out his Nintendo Switch, offered to race them in Mario Kart. It was all fun and games until Copley started losing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The experience proved that he\u2019s capable of being part of something big, and has encouraged him to reenlist, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley resumed more typical airlift missions after the withdrawal, moving cargo around the U.S. and to Germany and Spain. He\u2019s taken part in transport missions in support of NATO and Ukraine during Russia\u2019s ongoing invasion of its neighbor, but is currently grounded while undergoing physical therapy for a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When not pushing pallets onto planes, the staff sergeant racks up about 80 hours of volunteering each year. He\u2019s run retirement ceremonies, planned a Holocaust remembrance event and a squadron holiday party, and created opportunities for airmen to bond during the pandemic, according to his award nomination package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copley thinks he could make it to 20 years in uniform. He\u2019d like to head to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, for formal C-17 instructor training, then return to a flying squadron for a few years, pursue a staff job at Air Mobility Command headquarters in Illinois for more stability while he starts a family, and finish out his career at another flying squadron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot about myself,\u201d he said of his first few years in the service. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely been molded into a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Military Times\u2019 Service Members of the Year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/smr\/smoy\/2022\/07\/12\/military-times-2022-service-members-of-the-year\/\">Intro<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2022\/07\/12\/soldier-of-the-year-2022-is-only-army-officer-with-two-post-911-silver-stars\/\">Soldier of the Year<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/video\/2022\/07\/13\/soldier-of-the-year-2022-maj-nicholas-dockery\/\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2022\/07\/12\/this-navy-rescue-swimmer-saved-lives-after-a-boat-capsized-in-san-diego\/\">Sailor of the Year<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/video\/2022\/07\/13\/sailor-of-the-year-2022-aws1-cale-foy\/\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/07\/12\/c-17-loadmaster-led-crew-through-onboard-bomb-threat-in-kabul-evacuation\/\">Airman of the Year<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/video\/2022\/07\/13\/airman-of-the-year-2022-staff-sgt-duncan-copley\/\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2022\/07\/12\/the-incredible-story-of-how-this-marine-crash-landed-a-kc-130j-saving-its-crew-after-a-midair-collision\/\">Marine of the Year<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/video\/2022\/07\/13\/marine-of-the-year-2022-maj-cory-jones\/\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/military-honor\/smoy\/2022\/07\/12\/coast-guard-rescue-swimmer-saves-9-people-in-disabled-boat-from-freezing-to-death\/\">Coast Guardsman of the Year<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/video\/2022\/07\/13\/coast-guardsman-of-the-year-2022-ast2-joshua-carlson\/\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/07\/12\/west-point-grads-charity-provides-college-grants-to-gold-star-families\/\">Veteran of the Year<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/video\/2022\/07\/13\/veteran-of-the-year-2022-david-kim\/\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3aY3q1m4hR4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen title=\"Airman of the Year 2022 | Staff Sgt. 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