Master Sgt. Robert Fernandez, a combat controller in Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, is honored for exceptional service Sept. 7, 2013, during Military Appreciation Day events held as part of the University of Louisville-Eastern Kentucky University football game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky. A former U of L football player, Fernandez has deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he directed numerous air strikes on enemy insurgents, and to the Gulf Coast region of the United States where he supported massive rescue operations following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)