Lt. Col. Dean C. Phillips Jr. received a Bronze Star for meritorious service as operations officer and site commander for the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, New Al Muthana AB, Iraq. Phillips, who is chief of the Joint Strike Fighter Engines Division, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, directed the construction of the air base, which is the first Iraqi Air Force facility, and provided oversight for training Iraqi officers.
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.
