Power Officer in Charge
For meritorious achievement in connection with combat operations against enemy forces while serving as Power Officer in Charge, 802nd Engineer Facility Detachment, in support of Operation EPIC FURY from 16 February 2026 to 15 November 2026. Operating under the persistent threat of enemy ballistic missile and one-way attack unmanned aircraft system attacks during a high-priority operation, First Lieutenant Andrew Dayhoff distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service as the Power Officer in Charge and Coordination Cell Officer in Charge during operations in support of Operation Spartan Shield, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, and regional engagements in Kuwait and Jordan. First Lieutenant Dayhoff's extraordinary dedication, tactical expertise, and unyielding leadership directly contributed to the success of multi-domain base operations, critical infrastructure resilience, and enhanced air defense capabilities across the theater. During this operational deployment, First Lieutenant Dayhoff operated at an exceptional level of responsibility, consistently performing far beyond the standard expected of his grade. His contributions spanned critical infrastructure management, strategic power grid resilience, air defense tactical support, and comprehensive base garrison leadership across multiple volatile environments. As the Power Officer in Charge, Lieutenant Dayhoff carried the immense responsibility of sustaining over 31 Megawatts of continuous operational power across a massive, highly dispersed installation footprint. Through the strategic deployment, synchronization, and meticulous life-cycle management of decentralized spot generators, he ensured uninterrupted, highly reliable electricity for critical life-support areas, vital mission command nodes, and essential base-wide infrastructure. His proactive oversight successfully transformed a fragile, fragmented power framework into a hardened and resilient electrical grid capable of withstanding both extreme climate conditions and rigorous operational demands. When active conflict and emergency conditions threatened critical utility networks at Camp Arifjan, Lieutenant Dayhoff's decisive leadership proved instrumental in rapid recovery initiatives. Working under the persistent threat of enemy attacks, he personally coordinated the emergency recovery, technical servicing, and rapid startup of over 106 generators with minimal manpower, tools, and supplies. His swift, courageous intervention successfully restored prime utility power to more than 200 critical facilities across Camp Arifjan, guaranteeing 100% continuous power for more than 1,000 base personnel, eliminating mission downtime, and securing uninterrupted operations when they were needed most. To stabilize the garrison footprint during complex logistical transitions, Lieutenant Dayhoff exercised extraordinary command and control over four Prime Power Engineers while concurrently managing daily radio traffic and work coordination across nine distinct civilian contractors specializing in HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, generator maintenance, and carpentry. By harmonizing these disparate technical assets, he executed complex infrastructure recovery operations with zero safety incidents. Furthermore, when a major contract descope threatened to create critical support gaps, Lieutenant Dayhoff preempted widespread power degradation by orchestrating the physical movement, precision positioning, and electrical installation of 13 Government Furnished Equipment generators, seamlessly bridging the service gap without a single drop in mission capability. Looking beyond immediate operational crises, Lieutenant Dayhoff cemented long-term base sustainability by authoring and executing a critical contract modification that formally integrated additional base-wide facilities and generator systems into structured maintenance schedules. This vital administrative foresight guaranteed that future contractor operations would strictly adhere to the Commander's intent and maintain elite theater readiness standards. By implementing a comprehensive generator tracking spreadsheet and a rigorous preventative maintenance program, while logistically routing vital generator assets from Camp Buehring to Camp Arifjan, he successfully secured emergency refrigeration power for the Theater Medical Center, safeguarding temperature-sensitive medical supplies and protecting the health and welfare of the entire command. Lieutenant Dayhoff's profound impact extended far beyond base infrastructure into the realm of tactical and air defense operations. Serving as the Kuwait Air Defense Liaison Team Liaison Officer during high-tempo midnight shifts, he expertly synchronized Air Defense Artillery operations and tactical integration with both Kuwaiti and United States Air Forces. His unwavering vigilance and clear cross-service communication during peak operational hours significantly strengthened the coalition's defensive posture and optimized bilateral airspace coordination. Recognizing that modern warfare relies absolutely on secure, uninterrupted communications, he also executed a vital technical intervention to restore backup power to a key communication facility on Camp Arifjan, providing essential power redundancy for S6 requirements and safeguarding the continuous uptime of both classified and unclassified networks. Demonstrating exceptional engineering ingenuity, Lieutenant Dayhoff re-established critical tactical power to a vital Patriot Missile site by engineering and deploying a secondary backup generator power system. This rapid, flawless technical response guaranteed 100% operational readiness and continuous power for an elite air defense asset tasked with shielding the entire installation from aerial threats. Additionally, his decisive leadership re-energized K-Crossing and the Camp Arifjan Redistribution Property Assistance Team facilities under exceptionally tight operational timelines, directly facilitating the secure, rapid, and unhindered movement of equipment and personnel in support of the Operation Inherent Resolve Retrograde mission. Transitioning his exceptional organizational acumen to King Faisal Air Base in Jordan, Lieutenant Dayhoff assumed duties as the Coordination Cell Officer in Charge within the Mayor Cell, demonstrating incredible versatility and adaptability. In this capacity, he successfully synchronized daily operational updates and life support details for multiple base-wide groups, dramatically improving cross-functional communication and streamlining overall garrison management. Managing housing and life support initiatives across more than 30 distinct Task Forces, he applied a systematic approach to housing allocation and facility improvements that elevated the quality of life, morale, and force protection standards for every member of the garrison. Furthermore, he enforced rigorous quality control by conducting detailed surveillance and quality assurance assessments on Life Support Area 2000 on the Air Force side, ensuring that all contractor construction efforts strictly adhered to engineering compliance codes, met safety standards, and remained on schedule. The outstanding professional skill, leadership, and ceaseless efforts of First Lieutenant Andrew Dayhoff reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, and the United States Army. His extraordinary dedication to duty in a combat zone was critical to the successful completion of the unit's mission and directly contributed to the safety, readiness, and strategic security of the entire theater of operations.
Mos: 8651
Duty Title: Recon Point Team Lead
Bronze Star w/ combat V
For heroic achievement on the night of 16 April 1967 while voluntarily serving as a member of a eight-man team from Delta Company, 1st Marine Battalion, 1st Marine Division South Vietnam. When his team, whose mission was the enemy reconnaissance in I Corps area was pursued by a numerically superior enemy force. When pinned down by a barrage of probing automatic weapons fire, Cpl. Haskell received a wound to the right foot. Observing no other wounded Marines Haskell chose the refuse medical evacuation and not sacrifice the Marines position. Leading the patrol away from the path of intense fire, left his position of cover, wrestled the man to the ground and, although wounded himself, managed to assist in ultimately removing the Marines to the safety of the patrol base. Cpl. Haskell halted further enemy attacks by manning a machine gun and establishing fields of fire in a night position which ensured the Marines safety. He further directed helicopters arriving on the scene the next morning as to target areas. By his heroic actions throughout, he was instrumental in saving the life of 8 Marines reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
