Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nathan Champion, second from

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nathan Champion, second from left, of the California Army National Guard’s Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment, displays the California Military Cross he received from Col. Robert A. Spano, left, Director, California Military Department Joint Staff, and CAL FIRE representatives Dan Reese and Robert Winder, April 15 at the State of California Office of Emergency Services in Sacramento, California. While single-handedly flying a UH-72 Lakota helicopter during the August 2014 Lodge Fire in Mendocino County, California, Champion responded to an emergency that led to the rescue of eight firefighters after their position was overrun by a wildfire. The California Military Cross is the state’s second-highest award for military valor, behind only the California Medal of Honor. (U.S. Army National Guard photo/Staff Sgt. Eddie Siguenza)