Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Reach 871 Congressional Gold Medal Act”.
Reach 871 Congressional Gold Medal Act
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Air Force aircrew of Reach 871, commonly known as the Reach 871, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service during Operation Allies Refuge.
Sec. 2 Findings
The Congress finds the following:
The U.S. Air Force is an essential and integral part U.S. national security and diplomatic efforts, often called upon to enter extremely dangerous situations and provide support and safety for combat and non-combat missions worldwide.
A U.S. Air Force C–17 Globemaster III aircrew, assigned to the 6th Airlift Squadron, 305 Air Mobility Wing, based at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL), callsign Reach 871, was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Allies Refuge to assist in non-combatant evacuation operations.
Reach 871 safely evacuated over 800 Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
U.S. Air Force confirmed that Reach 871’s evacuation flight set a record for the number of personnel onboard an airborne C–17 Globemaster III under any condition.
The aircrew’s selfless action allowed for the safe evacuation of vulnerable Afghan civilians. The crew maximized previously undemonstrated capability and capacity of the aircraft, while operating the aircraft in extraordinary circumstances—balancing risk and capability to save the lives of others.
The crew and its commander made the brave decision, in accordance with their commander’s intent, to evacuate as many civilians as possible, including women and children, placing those civilian lives and safety above all else.
The selfless service and willingness to face extreme peril in order to secure the safety of Afghan civilians should be recognized and honored. These Airmen exemplify the patriotism and the commitment of all our brave service members who have served in Afghanistan over the last 20 years and risked their lives in service of our country.
Sec. 3 Congressional gold medal
Award authorized— The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to the Reach 871 aircrew, commonly known as “Reach 871”, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service during Operation Allies Refuge.
Design and striking— For the purposes of the award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the “Secretary”) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
Smithsonian Institution—
In general— Following the award of the Reach 871 aircrew, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as appropriate and made available for research.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the Reach 871 aircrew.
Sec. 4 Duplicate medals
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the bronze medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
Sec. 5 Status of medals
The gold medal struck pursuant to this Act is a national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
Sec. 6 Determination of budgetary effects
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled “Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation” for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.