Russia presented its Order of Friendship medal to USAF Maj. Patrick Poon and Lt. Cmdr. Steve Smith for their participation in rescuing Russian submariners trapped underwater last August. Poon is commander of Det. 1, 36th Contingency Response Group, Yokota AB, Japan. (Read more here.)
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
