Duane Hackney was born on June 5, 1947, in Flint, Michigan. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on June 18, 1965, and was trained as a Pararescue Specialist. Hackney served with the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (ARRS) at Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam from September 1966 to January 1967, and then with the 37th ARRS at Da Nang from January to October 1967. During this time he aided in the rescue of countless downed aircrew members and was awarded the Air Force Cross and the Cheney Award. His next assignment was as a Pararescue Specialist with the 41st ARRS at Hamilton AFB, California, from October 1967 to July 1970, followed by service back with the 37th ARRS at Da Nang from July 1970 to June 1971. He participated in the rescue of 270 flood victims near Osan AB, South Korea, in August 1972, and he left active duty on March 30, 1973. TSgt Hackney returned to active duty with the Air Force on March 25, 1977, and he participated in the removal of over 900 human remains from the People's Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, after the Jonestown massacre in November 1978. He served as a Pararescueman with the 67th ARRS at Keflavik Naval Station, Iceland, from March 1980 to March 1981, and then left the Pararescue career field after suffering from a heart attack on active duty in 1981. He then cross-trained into Air Force Security Police, later serving with Headquarters 23rd Air Force at Scott AFB, Illinois, from June 1983 to November 1985. Chief Hackney retired as First Sergeant of the 410th Security Police Squadron at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan on June 30, 1991. Duane Hackney died of a heart attack at his home on September 3, 1993, at age 46, and was buried at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Flint, Michigan.

His Air Force Cross Citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, awards the Air Force Cross to Airman Second Class Duane D. Hackney for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Pararescueman on an unarmed HH-3E Rescue Helicopter near Mu Gia Pass, North Vietnam, on 6 February 1967. On that date, Airman Hackney flew two sorties in a heavily defended hostile area. On the first sortie, despite the presence of armed forces known to be hostile, entrenched in the vicinity, Airman Hackney volunteered to be lowered into the jungle to search for the survivor. He searched until the controlling Search and Rescue agency ordered an evacuation of the rescue crew. On the second sortie, Airman Hackney located the downed pilot, who was hoisted into the helicopter. As the rescue crew departed the area, intense and accurate 37MM flak tore into the helicopter amidship, causing extensive damage and a raging fire aboard the craft. With complete disregard for his own safety, Airman Hackney fitted his parachute to the rescued man. In this moment of impending disaster, Airman Hackney chose to place his responsibility to the survivor above his own life. The courageous Pararescueman located another parachute for himself and had just slipped his arms through the harness when a second 37MM round struck the crippled aircraft, sending it out of control. The force of the explosion blew Airman Hackney through the open cargo door and, though stunned, he managed to deploy the unbuckled parachute and make a successful landing. He was later recovered by a companion helicopter. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Airman Hackney reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.