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Officials announce 2005 A/TA award winners

  • Published
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AMCNS) --  Airlift/Tanker Association officials recently announced the 2005 award winners for excellence within the air mobility community.

The association recognized 20 people in five categories. These Airmen were honored at its annual convention in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 28.

The Young Leadership Award is presented annually to 12 young people who have displayed performance excellence, outstanding professional skill, knowledge and leadership. The 2005 winners are:

-- Tech. Sgt. John W. Bilberry, aircraft propulsion lead technician, 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.

-- Tech. Sgt. Harry L. Brown, standard evaluations flight engineer, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany.

-- Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Caron, flight evaluator, 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan.

-- Capt. John A. Coy, wing weapons and tactic flight commander, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB.

-- Capt. Michael D. Curry, MC-130E aircraft commander, 8th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.

-- Capt. Kenneth D. Gjone, C-130J evaluator/pilot, 48th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB.

-- Capt. Matthew S. Husemann, C-5 aircraft commander, 9th Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.

-- Staff Sgt. Kevin R Kay, mobility instructor, 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.

-- Capt. Aaron J. Larose, KC-135R/T instructor pilot, 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Kadena AB.

-- Tech. Sgt. Rodney P. Morrison, MC-130H evaluator flight engineer, 1st Special Operations Squadron, Kadena AB.

-- Capt. Benjamin W. Spencer, executive officer to the commander, C-17 Systems Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

-- Tech. Sgt. Johnny White, in-flight refueling instructor, 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.

The association’s Huyser Award is presented annually to a pilot, navigator, flight engineer, boom operator and loadmaster, serving at the wing level or below, who have displayed outstanding proficiency and performance in flight duties; significant accomplishments, adaptability to unusual job assignments or difficult circumstances; acceptance of responsibility; and self-improvement efforts. The award is named after retired Gen. Robert E. “Dutch” Huyser, who commanded Military Airlift Command from 1979 to 1981. The 2005 Huyser Award winners are:

-- Capt. Michael A. Jackson, pilot, 15th SOS, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

-- Maj. Charles D. Bolton, navigator, 43rd Operation Support Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.

-- Master Sgt. Brian C. Johnson, flight engineer, 41st AS, Pope AFB.

-- Master Sgt. Brandon W. Broughman, loadmaster, 43rd Operations Group, Pope AFB.

-- Staff Sgt. James J. Guldjord, boom operator, 350th ARS, McConnell AFB, Kan.

The association’s Halvorsen Award is presented to an outstanding individual in the air transportation specialty for sustained excellence in aerial port operations. This is the first year it has been awarded; the award is named after retired Col. Gail S. Halvorsen, who gained fame during the Berlin Airlift as the “Candy Bomber.” The 2005 winner is Master Sgt. Carl Lane Jr., 18th LRS, Kadena AB.

The association’s Specialized Mission Award is presented to an outstanding individual whose performance of duties in support of an aerial air mobility mission is exceptionally noteworthy during crises, contingencies or humanitarian airlift; it is presented to people in career fields not covered by the Huyser Award categories. This is the second year that it has been awarded. The 2005 winner is Maj. Paul K. Yenter, operations flight commander, 43rd AES, Pope AFB.

The association’s Gen. P.K. Carlton Award for Valor is presented annually to an individual who demonstrates courage, strength, determination, bravery and fearlessness during a combat, contingency or humanitarian mission during the previous calendar year. The award is named for retired Gen. Paul K. Carlton, who commanded Military Airlift Command from 1972 to 1977. The 2005 winner of the Gen. P.K. Carlton Award for Valor is Maj. David A. Millsapps, MC-130 aircraft commander, 8th SOS, Duke Field, Fla.

The association is a private organization with open membership for people interested in defense matters that relate to the air mobility mission. The annual awards program is administered by Air Mobility Command.