Wing announces annual award winners

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The 512th Airlift Wing announced the 2010 annual award winners during the wing's second annual awards banquet March 5 at the Sheraton Hotel in Dover.

Twenty-second Air Force and Air Force Reserve Command award winners were also recognized during the three-hour evening event, attended by 512th AW Commander Col. Randal L. Bright and his wife Amy.

"This is a phenomenal wing we have here, and we are part of a phenomenal team with the 436th Airlift Wing," said Colonel Bright, glancing to his active-duty counterpart, Col. Mark D. Camerer, the 436th AW commander who was also in attendance. "We have outstanding Airmen and civilian employees, and this evening is an opportunity to recognize some of our top performers in our wing."

The event featured Col. Robert Coupe, Delaware State Police superintendent, as the guest speaker. After dinner and in front of an audience of 250 wing and community members, the emcee Capt. Otis Wilson, 512th Operations Group, announced the 2010 512th AW Outstanding Airmen of the Year.

Now Staff Sgt. Harry Mackay, 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is the 512th AW Outstanding Airman of the Year. The 512th AMXS aerospace maintenance technician deployed to Manas Transit Center, Kyrgyzstan, supporting de-icing operations for the C-5, C-17, KC-135, KC-10 and all Air Mobility Command contracted flights in theater. He is an Airman Against Drunk Driving volunteer and also helped the USO build 2,000 care packages for worldwide distribution to deployed warriors.

Now Tech. Sgt. Matthew Ferguson, 512th Airlift Control Flight, is the 512th AW Outstanding NCO of the Year. The loadmaster deployed to Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., in support of Operation Unified Response. Sergeant Ferguson and his fellow ALCF members launched 608 flights and assisted with the coordination of transferring cargo from larger aircraft to the smaller aircraft flying the supplies into Port Au Prince, Haiti. He was awarded his Bachelors of Science degree in elementary education maintaining a 3.4 grade point average.

Senior Master Sgt. Sherry Dowgos, 512th Operations Support Flight, is the 512th AW Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year. The operations administrative assistant worked with her counterparts at the 436th AW to standardize aviation resource management procedures. She is the unit's medical monitor and achieved 100 percent compliance for the unit's medical readiness requirements. She also hosted two French High School foreign exchange students spreading goodwill between the United States and France.

Capt. Frederick Kuehn, 512th ALCF, is the 512th AW Outstanding Company Grade Officer of the Year. The captain deployed to Homestead ARB, Fla., in support of Operation Unified Response where he led the Contingency Response Element. He and his fellow ALCF members launched 608 flights and assisted with the coordination of transferring cargo from larger aircraft to the smaller aircraft flying the supplies into Port Au Prince. He completed the C-17 Instructor Pilot Upgrade with distinction. He is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross in New York serving in the disaster response unit and assisted with 12 disasters and assisted 418 people.

Beverly Lumia, 512th Operations Group, is the 512th AW Outstanding Civilian of the Year. She is the 512th OG commander's secretary. Ms. Lumia oversees several programs to include personnel actions, the government purchase card, government travel card, military and civilian orders, budget, protocol, training and time and attendance records. She is active in a variety of civic and cultural organizations including the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, Arthritis Foundation, American Heart Association and Delaware Special Olympics.

Master Sgt. Donald Meyer, 709th Airlift Squadron, is the 512th AW First Sergeant of the Year. As the first sergeant, he is responsible for more than 170 Airmen. He also deployed to serve as a first sergeant at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sergeant Meyer improved the squadron's Fit Camp resulting in an 8 percent increase in members scoring 90 percent or higher. The community advocate led a team in a 5K obstacle course and mud run and raised $22,000 for leukemia research.

The annual award winners were selected from the 2010 quarterly award winners, which were also recognized at the event.

The 512th AW first quarter award winners are:
Senior Airman Andria Allmond, 512th AW Public Affairs
Staff Sgt. Sean Irvin, 512th Security Forces Squadron
Senior Master Sgt. Sherry Dowgos, 512th Operations Support Flight
Capt. Kelly Mount, 512th Mission Support Group
Sharon Scott, 512th Civil Engineer Squadron

The second quarter award winners are:
Senior Airman Robert Rossey Jr., 512th AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Matthew Ferguson, 512th ALCF
Senior Master Sgt. Nadine Ritter, 512th Mission Support Squadron
Capt. Edward Hassiepen, 712th AMXS

The third quarter award winners are:
Senior Airman Harry Mackay, 512th AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Richard Lewandowski, 512th AMXS
Senior Master Sgt. Gerry LaChance, 512th AMXS
Capt. Justin Botts, 512th OSF
Cynthia Farley, 512th AMXS

The fourth quarter award winners are:
Senior Airman Ryan Villermaux, 512th AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Robert Rogers, 512th SFS
Master Sgt, Sean Dawson, 512th AMXS
Capt. Frederick Kuehn, 512th ALCF
Beverly Lumia, 512th Operations Group

The wing also acknowledged the following numbered Air Force and command award winners.

The 512th Logistics Readiness Squadron earned the 2010 Reserve Officers' Association Outstanding Reserve Non-Flying Unit Award.

Senior Master Sgt. Matthew K. Sirkis, 512th Maintenance Squadron earned the Lance P. Sijan Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the highest qualities of leadership in their jobs and in their lives.

Capt. Edward Hassiepen, 712th AMXS, garnered the 22nd Air Force Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Award, which recognizes maintainers who have demonstrated the highest degree of sustained job performance, job knowledge, job efficiency and results in the categories of aircraft, munitions and missile, and communications-electronics maintenance.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Hunsiker is the 22nd AF Fuels NCO of the Year.

Senior Airman Matthew Ronan, 512th LRS, is the 22nd AF Fuels Airman of the Year.

Master Sgt. Curtis Brosius, 512th AMXS, was awarded the Air Mobility Command Outstanding Reserve Associate Maintenance Award.

Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith, 512th MXS, earned the AMC Outstanding Reserve Associate Maintenance Technician Award.

The 512th AW Financial Management Office is the 2010 AFRC Financial Management and Comptroller Organization of the Year.

The 512th Airman and Family Readiness office earned the 2010 AFRC Outstanding Airman and Family Readiness Office of the Year.

Master Sgt. Ronald McCoy, 512th SFS, is the AFRC Ground Safety NCO of the Year.
Tech. Sgt. James Duff, 512th Safety Office, is the AFRC Weapons Safety NCO of the Year.

The evening concluded with remarks from Colonel Bright.

"I congratulate each and every award winner; and, I thank each of you and your families for your service," said Colonel Bright.