U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph “20 Grit” Contino, left, 914th Air Refueling Wing commander, awards U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Thorn, 914th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron AE Technician, the Distinguished Flying Cross Award at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York, Dec. 8, 2024. Thorn was among the first Airmen mobilized in response to a mass casualty event at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, during Operation Freedom Sentinel in August 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Reyes)