EC units win big at AMC annual awards banquet

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Sybil Taunton
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center
JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  Maj. Gen. Bill Bender, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Cui, Expeditionary Center command chief, attended Air Mobility Command's Outstanding Airmen of the Year banquet held at Scott AFB, Ill., March 21.

The evening began with Gen. Ray Johns, AMC commander, presenting the nominees with medallions and ended with three of the four winners coming from EC units.

"I was really pleased to see so many different AF specialties represented in the 12 award nominees. I came away from the evening with a better appreciation for the importance of teamwork in doing AMC's global mission," said Maj. Gen. Bender. "As the USAF EC commander, I am proud to be associated with so many professional Airmen who are responsible for important support missions."

Airman of the Year was awarded to Senior Airman Ryan Smith of the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. Smith is a passenger service agent who helped move more than 200,000 passengers on more than 10,000 missions in support of both in-garrison and overseas contingency operations. Smith also contributed to life saving efforts while deployed with an aeromedical evacuation squadron and as the vice president of Pope's Airmen Against Drunk Driving program.

When asked what advice he has for other young Airmen hoping to win this level of an award, Smith said, "They need to set and achieve small interim goals in search of accomplishing the larger goal. Keep working and keep going. Be the one to step up and say 'I'll do it,' when nobody else will."

Tech. Sgt. Shannon Webster, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany, was selected as the AMC Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Webster led six visits where she evaluated 514 civilians and oversaw $31 million in contracted operations as a Navy technical advisor in AMC's largest Navy air terminal program. Among other outstanding achievements, as the wing's booster club president Webster raised $82,000 for Landstuhl's Fisher House and was selected as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

"I never imagined I would win at this level," said Webster. "The 521st AMOW is an organization with many professionals who make the mission happen each and every day. I am just one of the many who takes pride in their work and enjoys seeing the impact of a well-executed mission."

The AMC First Sergeant of the Year award went to Master Sgt. Steven Hart, 628th Security Forces Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Throughout the year Hart led a 499-member joint person squadron through 63 deployments, three operational readiness exercise missions, an operational readiness inspection and is currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Master Sgt. Joseph Neubauer, section chief for the Air Transportation Branch of the Mobility Operations School, was one of three nominees for AMC's Senior NCO of the Year award.

"It's quite humbling being nominated at the lowest level for SNCO of the year, so becoming one of three finalists in the command is overwhelming," said Neubauer. "The nomination was a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication from all of my teammates at the MOS Transportation Branch and the amazing support of my family."

The Center also had winners in categories not presented at the banquet. AMC's Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year was Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Moore, 627th Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Moore will now move on to compete at the Air Force level. AMC's Honor Guard Team of the Year was awarded to the 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The AMC First Sergeant Council of the Year winner was the 319th Air Base Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.