The crew of a U.S. gunship have been awarded bravery medals at a ceremony in Florida after they rained fire down on Islamic State militants for hours, as allied soldiers on the ground were whisked to safety. 

Forces on the ground came under heavy fire from ISIS militants in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan on April 3, 2019, in a ferocious fight which one Major on the ground likened to infamous WW2 battle Iwo Jima. 

They called for backup from 'Spooky 41' - a AC-13OU gunship, and the Hercules-variant plane arrived within minutes to provide covering fire and ensure medical helicopters could safely evacuate the injured. 

The crew were up in the air for nine hours and managed to suppress enemy fire during the evacuation of 15 wounded soldiers. 

The ferocity of Spooky 41's firepower meant the enemy was unable to get a single shot off at the MedEvac helicopters, which were hovering in machine gun range of the dug-in militants for an hour. 

At a ceremony on Monday, Spooky 41's Aircraft commander Capt.  Neils Aberhalden and navigator Capt.  John Crandall Jr. were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses. 

The airmen were with the 4th Special Operations Squadron based at Hurlburt Field, Florida. 

Fourteen Air Commandos with the 4th Special Operations Squadron were presented two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 12 Air Medals by Lt.  Gen. Jim Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, at Hurlburt Field, Florida

Two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 12 Air Medals lay on a table before a presentation ceremony at Hurlburt Field

An air-to-air front view of a AC-130 Hercules aircraft in-flight near Hurlburt Field

The DFC is awarded to any officer or enlisted person of the U.S. Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves in actual combat in support of operations by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight. 

The remaining 12 airmen were each presented with Single Event Air Medals during the ceremony. 

Air Medals are awarded to U.S. and civilian personnel for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievements while participating in aerial flight and foreign military personnel in actual combat in support of operations. 

All of the medals awarded came with a 'C' device - which was established to distinguish an award earned for exceptionally meritorious service or achievement performed under combat conditions, according to DVIDS. 

The AC-130 'Spooky' Gunship The AC-130's is a heavily armed ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane.  Its primary missions are close air support and armed reconnaissance.  They are often used to support troops in contact with enemy forces, convoy escort and point air defense.  The AC-130 is armed with a fearsome array of weaponry, including a 105 mm cannon and 25 or 40 mm gatling guns.  It has a combat history dating to Vietnam, where gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many life-saving close air support missions.  During Operation Desert Storm, AC-130s provided close air support and force protection (air base defense) for ground forces.  The AC-130 users a suite of sensors to protect itself, and is armed with a fearsome array of weaponry, including a 105 mm cannon and 25 or 40 mm gatling guns Advertisement

U.S. Air Force Lt.  Gen. Jim Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, presents Distinguished Flying Crosses to Aircraft commander Capt.  Neils Aberhalden and navigator Capt.  John Crandall Jr., with the 4th Special Operations Squadron

The air medals were in recognition of actions taken near Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, on April 3-4, 2019, with the AC-130U 'Spooky' Gunship

The Hurlburt Field Honor Guard presents the colors at a medal-presentation ceremony

'The most lethal part of any gunship is not the 25 mm, the 40 mm or the 105 mm weapons sticking out of the side of this big beautiful airplane.  The most lethal part of the gunship is the crew,' said Air Force Lt.  Gen. Jim Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command as he awarded the citations. 

'There is nothing more complicated than the dance that goes on in a gunship to bring the kind of capability our teammates have described this morning to bear on our nation's adversaries,' said Slife. ' The orchestration that goes on is unlike anything you will see anyplace else in AFSOC or in the United States Air Force.' 

The crew of the aircraft, an AC-13OU, known as a Spooky, is used by the Air Force for close air support and armed reconnaissance reports Stripes.com. 

On the night of April 3rd, 2019, the crew of the aircraft were called upon to help assist with the evacuation of ground personnel, some of whom had been injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) on the ground. 

The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft.  It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems

U.S. Air Force Lt.  Gen. Jim Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, presents a Single Event Air Medals during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field

American and coalition forces had come under fire by fighters from Islamic State during an attack on a mountainside near Nangarhar province. 

'In my 20-plus years of training and experience in the art of attacking and defending ground objectives, I have seen few more formidable defensive positions – or ones more daunting to attack,' Maj.  Jeffrey Wright, 24th Special Operations Wing, who led a seven-man special tactics team in the assault, said in an Air Force statement. 

'I would have to reach for examples like Normandy, Iwo Jima or Hamburger Hill to appropriately convey the degree to which the enemy were prepared and ready for our assault.' 

U.S. Air Force Maj.  Jeff Wright, Special Tactics officer with the 24th Special Operations Wing, speaks at the ceremony on Monday. Maj.  Wright was being supported on the ground by Spooky 41 the day of the mission

U.S. Air Force Lt.  Gen. Jim Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, gives his official remarks during the medal-presentation ceremony

The ISIS fighters managed to stay hidden as the coalition assault force moved in. 

And coalition forces were left exposed as firepower rained down on them from all directions. 

'By using networks of subterranean passageways, the enemy would reappear behind our forces even after they'd cleared buildings,' Wright explained. 

As the numbers of wounded increased, the ground force called for backup from the air. 

'In short order, I heard the bark of the AC-130U's guns,' Wright said. ' I distinctly remember wondering whether they were shooting at the right target, given the speed of their reaction – in 10 years as a joint terminal attack controller, I'd never seen any kind of fire support as responsive.  Sure enough, the first rounds were right on target – a good thing, because the enemy was so close to the assault force.' 

Three helicopters then arrived on scene to assist with getting the wounded soldiers to safety. 

The copters were unable to land so the injured were winched into the air. 

'This entailed coming to a hover within machine gun range of dozens, if not hundreds, of enemy fighters keen to press home their advantage,' Wright explained, 'yet the enemy did not get off a single shot as the patients were evacuated.' 

'The reason there will be no memorials for three separate medical evacuation aircrews is because Spooky 41's fires were so responsive and so precise that the enemy was effectively neutralized.' 

The crew of the AC-130U "Spooky" Gunship, flew for nine hours.  The crew's exemplary performance and battlefield coordination enabled the recovery of 15 patients following a mass-casualty event

During the ceremony on Monday, U.S. Army Capt.  Benjamin Carnell, a Special Operations Force team member and one of the casualties who was evacuated thanked the crew of the Spooky for 'rising to the occasion.' 

'From the regiment, from the assault force, and more specifically from my wife and my son and my daughter -- I want to thank you for your professionalism and for rising to the occasion' said Carnell. 

'Without any of that I would not have been hoisted out of there and I wouldn't be standing here in front of you today, so I am indebted to you in a way that I can't describe.' 

Another member of the ground force, U.S. Army Maj.  Jared Tomberlin, of the Special Operations Forces also spoke: 'I have been nothing short of humbled by your commitment to your profession and your commitment to each other and though most will never hear your stories of service and sacrifice, I will always know what you did for my men and I will never forget it.' 

'When every second mattered and lives were on the line, everybody was on top of their game in that aircraft -- 100 percent and then some.' 

Airmen awarded the Air Medal were Capt.  Micah T. Uvegas, Capt.  Brian K. Yee, 1st Lt.  Nicholas J. Maiolo, Tech.  Sgt.  Ryan A. Estes, Tech.  Sgt.  Jacob B. Griffen, Tech.  Sgt.  Austin L. Parrent, Staff Sgt.  Samuel Mayfield, Staff Sgt.  Michael S. Martinez, Staff Sgt.  Omar J. Diaz, Staff Sgt.  Jonathon M. Friesz, Senior Airman Jacob C. Bateman, Senior Airman Zadok N. Dean III. 

The Hercules gunship has a long history with the US Military, and was first used during the Vietnam War. 

The AC-130U Spooky Gunship used in this particular mission will soon retire as a new model, the AC-130J 'Ghostrider' Gunship, takes over. 

'This is probably the last ceremony of this sort we will do for any AC-130U crew before the last aircraft departs Hurlburt Field later this year,' said Slife.