Two Air Force helicopter crews were scheduled to receive the MacKay Trophy in Washington, D.C., yesterday for rescuing a crew of five Hawai'i National Guard soldiers who crashed in a sandstorm in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter on April 16, 2004, in Iraq.

The MacKay Trophy is awarded annually by the Air Force and National Aeronautic Association for the Air Force's most meritorious flight of the year.

Members of the 41st Rescue Squadron and the 38th Rescue Squadron out of Moody Air Force Base, Ga., flew in two HH-60G helicopters in near-zero visibility to rescue the downed Hawai'i chopper crew near Kharbut, about 50 miles southeast of Baghdad, the Pentagon said.

The helicopters flew using night-vision goggles and at extremely low altitude beneath the sandstorm to reach the crew.

"The sight of those guys coming in those two aircraft to pick us up — that was one of the best sights I've ever seen in my life," said Chief Warrant Officer Steve Froeschle of Kailua, the pilot-in-command of the Hawai'i Chinook.

At least two Hawai'i crew members with Charlie Company, 193rd Aviation Regiment traveled to Washington to take part in the award ceremony.

Air Force Capt. Bryan Creel, the commander of one of the rescue helicopters, said, "You go out there with body bags to pick people up, and you see guys there on the ground and you think, 'You know, we've got to find a way to get these guys out.' "

The twin-rotor Chinook landed in a slight right crab position in the sandstorm. The big helicopter hit the ground and rolled, destroying the aircraft, officials said.

Maj. Joe Laurel, who commanded the Charlie Company, 193rd Aviation Regiment unit in Iraq and now is executive officer for its higher organization, said there were some scrapes and bruises among the crew, but no serious injuries.

"He (Froeschle) did a good job of getting the aircraft down to the point where it was a survivable crash," Laurel said.

The Chinook was one of three flying resupply missions to Al Kut.

Skirting Baghdad to the east, the group encountered a "monstrous sandstorm" at about 7,000 to 8,000 feet, Laurel said.

The two other Chinooks climbed, while Froeschle decided to land his craft because the sandstorm was so severe, Laurel said.

"It's really the pilot-in-command's call whether or not he wants to climb above the sandstorm or try to land," Laurel said. The other two helicopters made it back to base.

The rescue helicopters split up to avoid colliding in the sandstorm after picking up the Hawai'i crew, and once clear of the bad weather, began to take rocket-propelled grenade and missile fire.

Charlie Company, 193rd Aviation deployed to Iraq with 14 Chinooks and 220 personnel, and returned a year later last March.

The company flew daily around Iraq out of Logistical Support Area Anaconda 50 miles north of Baghdad, and set the record for flying 6,240 hours — more than any other Chinook company in Iraq.

The unit also delivered former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to a pre-trial hearing in Baghdad, delivered $1.7 billion in cash to Kurdish-held Irbil in the north and routinely flew payroll money in the millions.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.