A Georgia airman earned an Air Force Achievement Medal for helping local law enforcement in the capture of a fugitive wanted for murder.
Airman 1st Class Ryland Perez-Settle, a fire team member assigned to the 822nd Base Defense Squadron, recognized his friend from the news after returning from leave, according to a Tuesday Moody Air Force Base statement.
“Torn between friendship and duty, he chose justice, a decision that brought peace to a grieving family, closure to a community, and an Air Force Achievement Medal to an Airman who proved that integrity doesn’t end when the uniform comes off,” the statement reads.
In late September 2025, two sisters in Ringgold, Georgia, were shot. One was killed and the other critically injured. Two suspects were identified and charged with murder, but only one was immediately apprehended.
Perez-Settle discovered that one of his first friends after moving to Georgia, Eric Link Jr., was the fugitive and wanted to help the police find and apprehend him.
“When I looked more into the case and learned he had shot a mother of two, it really hit me. If that were my mom, I’d want someone to turn him in,” Perez-Settle said in the release.
“He took things too far that day and shouldn’t be walking free,” Perez-Settle continued.
The airman provided local law enforcement with the suspect’s possible location and was pulled from mission planning by the base’s leadership to further assist Chattanooga Police Department in the search, but Link initially managed to flee.
Perez-Settle helped track Link down the highway toward Tennessee, seemingly heading for an apartment the suspect used to spend time at.
From Georgia, the airman helped Tennessean police capture Link safely through providing information on his whereabouts in real time.
For providing necessary intelligence to law enforcement that resulted in the fugitive’s capture, Perez-Settle was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal on Oct. 24, 2025, recognizing his integrity, professionalism and cooperation with civilian law enforcement.
Cristina Stassis is an editorial fellow for Defense News and Military Times, where she covers stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She is currently studying journalism and mass communication and international affairs at the George Washington University.
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