Scott senior NCO awarded Bronze Star for helping build Afghan air force Published Feb. 16, 2011 By 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Rix, from the 375th Communications Support Squadron, was presented a Bronze Star medal for meritorious achievement during a recent deployment to Afghanistan. Col. Michael Hornitschek, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, presented the medal at a wing commander's call here Feb. 11. The actions which earned her the medal were from her year-long deployment as the superintendent to the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, 438th AEA Group, NATO Air Training Mission-Afghanistan located at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. During this period Sergeant Rix advised the Afghan Air Force Training Center's sergeant major on building an air university to support Afghan National Security Force operations, her award citation stated. She oversaw "an 800 percent increase in student enrollment and the graduation of more than 800 Airmen." As the senior enlisted leader, she led a joint, multi-national, 122 member team and executed a $77 million education and enlisted professional military education program. The program established an apprentice, journeyman and craftsmen level training for 39 military specialties, the citation shows. In addition, she stood up the Afghan Air Force's first ever enlisted professional military education program and designed an NCO direct-accession basic military training course. The Bronze Star is a decoration authorized by Executive Order No. 9419 on Feb. 4, 1944, and is awarded to a person in any branch of the military service who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, has distinguished themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.