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"Of the Year" luncheon honors AFRC top winner

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ann Wilkins Jefferson
  • 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The same weekend Hollywood rolled out the red carpet for the Academy Awards, the 910th Airlift Wing honored its own stars at the annual awards recognition luncheon at the Eagle’s Nest Club March 4. All “Of the Year” nominees and selectees from 2005 were invited to attend the event, as were other recognition winners from various AFRC, Air Force and USO 2005 competitions.

Chief Master Sgt. Robert V. Glus Sr., command chief master sergeant of the 910th Airlift Wing and master of ceremonies, explained how the “of the quarter/of the year” nomination process works, that enlisted awards are given per each calendar quarter while officer awards begin the third quarter of the year prior (third quarter 2004, for this year). One from each quarterly award category is then chosen as the annual winner.

Chief Glus recognized all nominees, saying, “It’s an honor just to be nominated by your squadron – you ought to be awfully proud of that.”

The chief then called the “Of the Year” selectees forward to receive their awards from Col. Timothy J. Thomson, 910th Airlift Wing commander. Each honoree received an engraved model of a C-130; an impressive medallion from USAA; gift certificates from the base credit union, the Army Air Force Exchange Service and Ohio State Sen. Mark Dann’s office; a $100 savings bond from the 910th Airlift Wing Services Division; and a Wing coin.

The ceremony spotlighted an extra special award recipient. Capt. Raymond W. Gale, 910th Performance Planning Officer, was not only the Third Quarter 2004 Company Grade Officer selectee and 2005 Company Grade (formerly called Junior) Officer of the Year winner from the 910th Airlift Wing. Ultimately AFRC then chose Capt. Gale as its top “Of the Year” selectee, for which Lt. General John A. Bradley, AFRC commander, presented him with an impressive plaque at the Reserve Officers Association convention in February. Colonel Thomson re-presented the plaque at the awards lunch. The 22nd Air Force also named the captain as its Performance Planner of the Year and has nominated him for the AFRC competition.

An impressive group of 22AF and AFRC recognition award recipients also stepped front and center for a Wing coin and photo with the colonel.

Colonel Thomson remarked, “It’s a commander’s dream to have wing personnel like yourselves. This is both an individual and team effort; folks wouldn’t be successful without a good team behind them – consider that.”

Captain Gale echoed the colonel’s sentiment when receiving his AFRC award: “I don’t know where I’d be without my family and Colonel Thomson. You don’t do this alone. Thanks to all of my peers.”

The fine meal was courtesy of the Air Force Association, Base Community Council, the Chiefs Group, the First Sergeants Council, and the local Reserve Officers Association #41.

Of the Quarter selectees, Of the Year, and other recognition:

ENLISTED
First Qtr.
Airman: SrA Lisa Stein, 910 MOF
NCO: TSgt. Donald Weilacher, 773 AS
Sr. NCO: SMSgt. Duane Sackett, 910 MSF

Second Qtr:
Airman: SrA Abby Charboneau, 76 APS
NCO: TSgt. William McAdoo, 910 SFS
Sr. NCO: SMSgt. John McKibben, 773 AS

Third Qtr:
Airman: Amn Jennifer King, 910 MXS
NCO: TSgt. Mary Ann Mracek
Sr. NCO: SMSgt. Bruce Hague, 76 APS

Fourth Qtr:
Airman: SrA Kathy Winner, 910 MSF
NCO: TSgt. Shawn Jackson, 910 MXS
Sr. NCO: MSgt. Renee Noel, 910 SFS

COMPANY GRADE OFFICERS
Third Qtr 2004: Capt. Raymond Gale, 910 AW
Fourth Qtr. 2004: 1Lt. Wendy Prokop, 910 OSS
First Qtr. 2005: 1Lt. Youssef Mhemedi, 910 OSS
Second Qtr. 2005: Capt. Philip Shirah, 773 AS

Of the Year Selectees
Airman: SrA Kathy Winner, 910 MSF
NCO: TSgt. William McAdoo, 910 SFS
SNCO: MSgt. Renee Noel, 910 SFS
First Sgt.: MSgt. Jeffrey Burke, 910 SFS
Company Grade Officer: Capt. Raymond Gale, 910 AW

AFRC “Of the Year” Selectee
Capt. Raymond Gale, AFRC Outstanding Jr. Officer of the Year

910th Security Forces
SrA Jessica Herold, AFRC Outstanding Security Forces Full-Time Airman of the Year
TSgt. William McAdoo, AFRC Outstanding Security Forces Full-Time NCO of the Year
1Lt. Nathan List, AFRC Outstanding Company Grade Officer of the Year
910th Security Squadron, on to AFRC

910th Operations Group
910th Operations Group, recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for 2005
MSgt. James Haupt, AFRC Outstanding Aircrew Life Support SNCO of the Year

910th Mission Support Flight
SrA Kathy Winner, USO of Northern Ohio “Service Member of the Year”

910th Airlift Wing
Command Post, 22AF Small Unit Command Post of the Year – on to AFRC competition
SMSgt. Joe Plesniak, 22AF SNCO Controller of the Year – on to AFRC competition
SSgt. Phil Marzano, 22AF NCO Controller of the Year – on to AFRC competition
Capt. Raymond Gale, 22AF Performance Planner of the Year