[1] He was the first living, and second ever, Combat Controller to receive the Air Force Cross after TSgt John A. Chapman was posthumously awarded the medal in 2002 for his actions during the Battle of Takur Ghar.

He next attended Special Tactics Advanced Skills Training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, for upwards of a year.

He received his third purple heart in March 2013, when a gunshot wound shattered his right femur and severed his sciatic nerve.

[7] On 6 April 2008, a 130-man combined assault force, dubbed Commando Wrath, performed a day-time rotary-wing insertion down into a remote valley of the Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

[8][10] Their mission was to capture Haji Ghafour, a high-ranking commander of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) militant group.

[11][12] Despite being wounded within the first fifteen minutes of the battle, Rhyner continued to direct close air support and airstrikes until the assault force was evacuated seven hours later.

Prior to presenting the award Donley stated to Rhyner "Your actions are now and forever woven into the rich fabric of service, integrity and excellence that has connected generations of America's Airmen since the very inception of airpower, Rarely do we present an Airman with the Air Force Cross, let alone a Purple Heart, and with good reason.

"[21] Afterwards, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force General Norton Schwartz presented Rhyner with his Purple Heart.

[21] The last time an Air Force Cross was bestowed upon a living recipient was when Timothy Wilkinson was awarded it for his heroic actions during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.

Devastating sniper, machine gun, and rocket-propelled grenade fire poured down on the team from elevated and protected positions on all sides, immediately pinning down the assault force.

Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Airman Rhyner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.