Pilot is first woman to win flying bravery medal

LONDON (Reuters) - Helicopter pilot Michelle Goodman has become the first woman to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, after saving a life under heavy fire in Iraq.

Flight Lieutenant Goodman, of the Royal Air Force, flew into the centre of Basra at night last June to rescue a casualty.

Without her bravery, the wounded man would have died within 15 minutes.

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is one of the highest level military decorations, after the Victoria Cross and Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

Goodman flew her Incident Reaction Team Merlin helicopter into Basra after being told of a serious casualty. Braving heavy fire and mortar rounds, she landed next to the wounded man and managed to get him out.

"Despite extreme pressure, whilst in the face of the enemy, she made the right decision," the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in a statement.

Also decorated on Friday was Lance Corporal Oliver Ruecker, of the Royal Anglian Regiment, who was awarded the Military Cross after his Viking patrol vehicle was hit by two rocket propelled grenades in Afghanistan.

As he and his comrades tried to escape the blazing vehicle, they were confronted by an armed Taliban fighter.

Ruecker shot him before returning to the burning vehicle and rescuing a trapped comrade while bullets from other Taliban fighters whizzed around his head. Seconds later, the vehicle exploded into a ball of flames.