Wing members recognized at annual awards ceremony

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amaani Lyle
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office
Civilians, ARTs and Reservists converged at the Andrews Community Activity Center here Feb. 2 to honor the "best of the best" at the Third Annual 459th Air Refueling Wing banquet.

The First Sergeant's Council, the Banquet Committee and the 756th Squadron Association joined forces to help ensure the evening would measure up to and surpass the quality wing members have grown to expect from previous years.

The 756th Squadron Association president Norm Larson continued the tradition of offering complimentary first-year membership and charity matching of cash prizes offered by Andrews Federal Credit Union and other Team Andrews partners.
Several of the awards were named specifically after people who significantly and positively impacted their respective fields.

The Charles Woodward Award, First Sergeant Award for Excellence, signifies "excellent performance of Air Force-related functions and ethical standards that demonstrate leadership abilities."

The Rudy Rodriguez Award, Company Grade Officer Award for Excellence, denotes the ability to "consistently motivate subordinates through willingness to lead by example" among other traits.

The Paul R. Julian Jr. Award, Excellence in Aviation, highlights those who display "superior Airmanship skills and knowledge, and possess the immense respect of supervisors, peers and fellow aviators."

A committee of wing members selected winners based on three categories: Leadership and Performance in Primary Duty, Significant Self Improvement, and Base or Community Involvement.

The winners are:

Airman: Senior Airman Dan McEvily

NCO: Tech. Sgt. Derrick Freeman

SNCO: Master Sgt. Steven Bedell

CGO: Capt. Albert Olagbemiro

First sergeant: Master Sgt. Clif Schindler

Civilian, category I: Carla Liller

ART, category I: Capt. Katrina Wiggins

Team: 459th Operations Support Flight

Aviator Crew: 756th Air Refueling Station