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AMC announces winners of 2011 Outstanding Airmen of the Year competition

  • Published
  • By Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Air Mobility Command here held its Outstanding Airmen of the Year competition for 2011 on March 21 celebrating the command's top performers of the year.

There were 12 finalists vying to be named in four categories as AMC's nominees for the Air Force-level competition for the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. Those categories included junior enlisted, NCO, senior NCO and first sergeant.

In a message prior to the competition, Gen. Ray Johns, AMC commander, said the awards competition was represented by some of AMC's finest Airmen.

"These awards recognize individuals whose exceptional achievements and leadership qualities set them apart and distinguished them from their peers," Johns said in the message.

Following are the winners and some of their annual accomplishments for 2011.

2011 Air Mobility Command Airman of the Year -- Senior Airman Ryan Smith, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.
-- Smith is an air transportation Airman, or aerial porter, who works as a passenger service agent with the 3rd APS at Pope Field. In 2011, he helped move more than 200,000 passengers on more than 10,000 missions, supporting in-garrison and overseas contingency operations. During his recent deployment, Smith assisted an aeromedical evacuation squadron with the upload of 90 critically-wounded casualties, "ensuring rapid life-saving treatment and airlift to definitive care." Additionally, as the vice president of Pope's Airman Against Drunk Driving, he organized 41 wingman saves -- providing fellow Airmen a safe ride home and preventing possible alcohol-related incidents.

2011 Air Mobility Command NCO of the Year -- Tech. Sgt. Shannon Webster, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
-- Webster is a Navy technical advisor at Ramstein AB. In 2011 she led six site visits where she evaluated 514 civilians and oversaw $31 million in contracted operations in Air Mobility Command's largest Navy air terminal program. She drafted three courses of action during a Spanish labor strike which enabled a crucial C-5 hub to move 475 warfighters and 296 tons of critical cargo without delay. Additionally, she was selected as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy and was the wing's booster club president and helped raise $82,000 for Landstuhl's Fisher House.

2011 Air Mobility Command Senior NCO of the Year -- Senior Master Sgt. Laura Callaway, 60th Medical Operations Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
-- Callaway is the physical medicine and emergency department superintendent at Travis AFB. In 2011, she "superbly" filled Air Mobility Command's physical medicine career field functional manager position where she helped develop proficiency skills and updated training tasks to define standards for physical therapy across the Air Force. She also inspired the 60th Medical Operations Squadron as chief enlisted manager for seven flights and more than 400 personnel which led to three outstanding ratings for the squadron during a Health Services Inspection. Moreover, Callaway was one out of 40 senior NCOs selected Air Force-wide to attend the Campbell Leadership Course.

2011 Air Mobility Command First Sergeant of the Year -- Master Sgt. Steven Hart, 628th Security Forces Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
-- Hart is the first sergeant of the 628th SFS and is currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 387th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. In 2011, Hart led a 499-member joint person squadron through 63 deployments, three operational readiness exercise fly-away missions and an operational readiness inspection. Additionally, Hart built and managed a cross fit program, developed a fitness foundation course and headed the 628th Air Base Wing's "Festival of Fitness" planning committee.

In addition to the four annual winners, other AMC winners who are nominees for Air Force awards were honored.

They include:

AMC's Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Honor Guard Member of the Year nominee
- Senior Airman Robert Romero, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.

AMC's Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year nominee
- Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Moore, 627th Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

AMC's Honor Guard Team of the Year Award winners
- 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

AMC's First Sergeant Council of the Year winners
- 319th Air Base Wing, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota

"To all of our mobility Airmen, thank you! Your commitment, sacrifice, and leadership make a tremendous difference around the world. Congratulations again to our finalists and winners, and my best wishes for your continued success," Johns said in the message.

At the next level, an Air Force selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center will review nominees who represent not only major commands like AMC, but also direct reporting units, field operating agencies and Headquarters Air Force nominees, officials said. The board then selects 12 Airmen based on superior leadership, job performance and personal achievements for the Air Force awards of Outstanding Airmen of the Year.

(Air Mobility Command's command chief's administration contributed to this article.)