GREAT FALLS — An airman from Malmstrom Air Force Base received a rare honor on Friday, months after helping save the life of a missing hiker in the Beartooth Mountains.
Major Collin Urbanowicz, an aerospace medicine physician assistant with the 341st Operational Medical Squadron, was surprised during a ceremony where he was presented with an Air Medal, an award traditionally presented for heroism in combat or overseas operations.
This is the first time one of its helicopter aircrew members has received the medal for a stateside rescue mission.
Flight crew talks about the mission - watch the video:
Urbanowicz earned the medal for a 20-hour high-alpine search and rescue mission on August 25, 2025, when a 73-year-old hiker was reported missing in some of the steepest terrain in the Beartooth range.
The terrain stretched to elevations between 10,000 and 11,000 feet, with deep valleys and no visible landmarks to follow.
“We were kind of going in blind,” said flight engineer Staff Sergeant Chase Rose. “There wasn’t a lot of additional information going in.”
The 40th Helicopter Squadron was requested specifically for its night-searching capabilities, flying the Air Force’s new MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter.
The 40 HS aircrew was Captain Jacques Soto, pilot; Captain Jaani Barclay, co-pilot; Staff Sgt. Chase Rose, flight engineer; Senior Airman Corbin Dietrich, flight engineer; and Maj. Urbanovicz.
The aircrew said they used a mix of training and intuition, especially what they described as “reading human behavior” to shift their search pattern away from where the hiker was originally expected to be.
Captain Soto said the hiker was ultimately found three and a half miles off route and 3,000 feet above the projected trail.
“Spotting somebody three and a half miles off route… in completely different terrain, that’s what led to finding this individual in a dead-end valley,” Soto said.
A faint pinpoint of light, a single flashlight, caught their attention.
Other helicopter crews had passed through the area earlier, but never saw him.
According to the official Air Medal citation, Urbanowicz volunteered to be hoisted 70 feet down into an unlit clearing to reach the hiker. The aircraft struggled to hold position due to altitude, winds, and tight mountain walls.
“It was hard enough to keep the aircraft controllable,” said Soto. “For him to hop in, zero illumination, and render aid… it’s a big deal.”
Moments later, worsening conditions forced the helicopter to pull away, leaving Urbanowicz behind.
He spent the entire night providing medical care using only what he had carried down, such as fluids, emergency supplies, and survival gear.
Urbanowicz said the magnitude of the mission and today’s recognition are still sinking in.
“I don’t know how to describe it… I just love going out and helping people,” he said. “Totally caught me off guard.”
The hiker, named Chris, had been missing for nearly a week by the time the crew found him. The aircrew said his toughness and knowledge of the outdoors helped him stay alive long enough to be rescued.
“To be that age, out there for that long with very little resources—it’s impressive,” Urbanowicz said.
The rescue, the crew emphasized, was possible because every member executed their role under pressure, flying in darkness, navigating dangerous terrain, managing the hoist, and coordinating through rapidly changing conditions.
“We all worked together,” said Senior Airman Corbin Dietrich, a 40th HS mission flight engineer. “None of us were useless… we all had a different role.”
By morning, an Army helicopter reached Urbanowicz and the survivor and completed the hoist. Urbanowicz’s care directly prevented clinical deterioration and possibly saved the man’s life.
“Thanks to him, we brought somebody home,” Rose said.
