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The 2004 Semper Viper Award goes to Maj. Andrew T. Lyons

March 31, 2004 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Maj. Andrew T. Lyons, an F-16 instructor pilot with the 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, is the 2004 winner of the Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award.
He was selected for his professional and personal commitment to improving the lethality of the 421st FS before and during its deployment to Balad AB for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004.

His efforts led to the first-ever successful combat employment of the GBU-38 guided bomb during OIF.

Lyons' work as the weapons phase manager in the USAF Weapons School's F-16 Weapons Instructor Course was also recognized.

The Semper Viper Award pays tribute to pilots demonstrating airmanship skills noteworthy of its namesake, the late Joe Bill Dryden. The award program began in 1996. A selection panel from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company evaluates candidates who carry on Joe Bill's tradition of excellence in airmanship and system knowledge.