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JB MDL family serves Air Force, AMC at highest levels

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Zachary Wilson
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center
JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  The Air Force is a way of life for many military families - in 2009, the service had nearly 17 thousand active-duty couples serving jointly. One family here goes above and beyond to exemplify service and excellence in their lives.

For the Kazimers - father, mother and daughter are all currently serving in the Air Force. Their service has led to significant recognition as well as having a direct impact on mission accomplishment.

Master Sgt. Joseph Kazimer, 421st Combat Training Squadron superintendant for the contingency operations flight at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center here, was named Air Mobility Command's Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the year at a banquet April 8 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Accompanied at the ceremony by his daughter, 20-year-old Airman 1st Class Nicole Kazimer, he was recognized as the command's top senior NCO out of a possible 5,249 across the command.

"Sometimes you can have that feeling when you get out of bed in the morning that you are not 100 percent," Master Sgt. Kazimer said. "But then I think of the mission and what we do here and that keeps me energized for the rest of the day."

He said he knows training Airmen to deploy into harm's way is a serious task. Especially knowing his wife is serving on her third deployment and his daughter will be called to serve downrange sooner than later. He needs no additional motivation to do his job and do it effectively.

"This is so unbelievable," said Tech. Sgt. Karyn Kazimer, Master Sgt. Kazimer's wife. She is currently serving a six-month deployment as an emergency management specialist with the 447th Civil Engineer Squadron at Sather Air Base outside of Baghdad, Iraq. "I am so proud of him - he does a lot of hard work and for him to publicly get recognized at this level, it really shows that hard work paying off."

Tech. Sgt. Kazimer is deployed from the 108th Civil Engineer Squadron, part of the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Air Refueling Wing here.
"I'm really glad he was able to be with the guys who helped him get there," she added. A dozen additional supporters for the EC traveled to cheer the unit's two nominees on. Staff Sgt. Joshua Hoshauer was the EC's nominee in the Airman category.

In addition to leading 137 Airmen in over 47 different Air Force Specialty Codes, Master Sgt. Kazimer was also responsible for millions of dollars in special projects, hundreds of students trained in contingency skills, as well as taking on leadership roles with the 421st CTS and USAF EC in a variety of programs and initiatives such as unit fitness and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century.

"I was really overwhelmed; I still am," he said. "Everybody I was around the past week was the top caliber within their category and I was just happy to be considered with them."

On learning he was the top senior NCO in the command, Master Sgt. Kazimer was quick to point out the credit was not his alone.

"This award really embodied the whole -team concept," he said. "From the General all the way down to the guys who work for me - all of the hard work and effort they put forward allows me to focus on being the superintendent and doing what I need to do."

Since his wife was unable to attend the ceremony due to her deployment, their daughter, Nicole, went in her place. However, she said she knows how her husband feels - she was recognized as an Outstanding Airman of the Year for Air Force Reserve Command in 2004.

Master Sgt. Kazimer has been in the Air Force for 22 years of their 24 year marriage. Tech. Sgt. Kazimer joined the Air Force Reserve 13 years ago to gain additional experience after being a military spouse. Now, on her third deployment, she is happy to see her real family come together within the context of the Air Force family.

"We were so thrilled for her to have the opportunity to go with her father," she said. "It is a great experience for her."

Airman Kazimer, a 39th Airlift Squadron loadmaster from the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess AFB, Texas, was excited to be a part of the whole event.

"I was very happy he made it this far (to the AMC level)," she said. "Even if he didn't win we were proud of him. But now my dad is the top senior NCO in all of AMC - I'm in AMC too, so I'm really excited about that."

AMC's SNCO of the year said he was thrilled to have his daughter with him not only for family support but for the professional opportunities it presented for her.

"I didn't meet a general until I was in the Air Force for 10 years," he said. "She's been in for two years and she had the chance to meet three and four-star generals as well as all of AMC's senior enlisted leadership. Most of all, I was glad she was able to learn about the 'big picture' Air Force, which is something she has not really been exposed to as much in her career."

Airman 1st Class Kazimer is soon to be Senior Airman Kazimer after learning last week she was selected by her leadership for below-the-zone promotion to sew on her next stripe. She will be promoted next week.

"I have some pretty big shoes to fill," she said, when reflecting on her parents' respective accomplishments. "I was very excited to get (below-the-zone) - my leadership was very discreet and I was starting to feel like I didn't get selected."

Master Sgt. Kazimer said he was not surprised she was selected and noted, "We've always placed pressure on her to do her best - her mother and I both made BTZ and we knew she could as well."

The Kazimers' history of serving their country is being carried into the future by one daughter, though the trend may not stop there, according to Master Sgt. Kazimer.

"I was just talking to my oldest daughter and she is really thinking about joining the Air Force, too."