An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

AMC units, people honored by Air Force Association

  • Published
Three Air Mobility Command organizations and two AMC individuals earned Citation of Honor awards during the Air Force Association's 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 13 in Washington, D.C.

The Citation of Honor award recognizes the most outstanding contribution by an individual or organization to the development of aerospace power for the betterment of mankind.

AMC organizational winners are: the 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas; the 18th Air Support Operations Group, Pope AFB, N.C.; and the "Flash 39" crew, 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB.

AMC individual winners are: 1st Lt. Corey LaLonde an intensive care unit clinical nurse assigned to the 375th Surgical Operations Squadron at Scott AFB; and Robert Miskin, a mission systems flight engineer assigned to the 789th Communications Squadron at Andrews AFB, Md.

In addition to the five Citation of Honor awards, the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, captured the Air National Guard Unit Award for outstanding airmanship; and Maj. Richard Walker and his crew, assigned to the 711th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., earned the Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner Award for the most outstanding airlift crew in the Air Force.

Following the AFA award presentations, Capt. Jim Harrison, 39th AS co-pilot and a member of the award-winning "Flash 39" flight crew, said earning the Citation of Honor award is a humbling experience.

"While the award is a tremendous honor, we look at the mission and our actions as just doing our jobs," said the captain.

The crew of Flash 39 was made up of members of the 39th AS who were deployed to Afghanistan in support of OEF. The crew participated in a crucial mission to air-drop U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division soldiers near the Afghanistan border to disrupt the trafficking of people, weapons and drugs. According to Dyess AFB officials, during the mission, the crew experienced difficulties with the weather, a missile lock and a near-catastrophic equipment failure while the soldiers were jumping from the plane.

The 317th AG from Dyess was also recognized for their efforts in supporting the Global War on Terrorism during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

"It was the first war sustained totally by airlift and the 317th AG logged over 40,000 accident-free combat and combat support hours in contingency missions with a 98 percent departure reliability rate," said Col. Paul Montgomery, 317th AG commander. "Additionally, the group defined the procedures for and transported more than 887 Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists."

Both AMC individual winners credited their success to the people they work with. 

"Without the help of the 'blue suits' and civilians in our maintenance flight [and] plans flight, and our very friendly contractors ... and the support we receive from upper management and the 89th Airlift Wing operations group, we would not be able to accomplish anything," Mr. Miskin said. "Bottom line, I do a lot and have a lot of say in the direction our project designs take, but it takes the entire team to make it happen."

According to his award citation, Mr. Miskin is highly knowledgeable and is invaluable to the Mystic Star mission, the primary communications system that directly supports the U.S. President and other national leaders through elite high frequency and ultrahigh frequency satellites.

Mr. Miskin said the best part of winning the ward is knowing that he has performed his job to the satisfaction of his customers and management, and having being able to attend the AFA award ceremony his wife, Donna.

Lieutenant LaLonde said the best part of earning his award is knowing he works with "the best team in the world."

The lieutenant was credited for his quick response following the United Nations headquarters bombing in Baghdad. According to the award citation, he was pivotal to the survival and safe transport of 22 casualties during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. The lieutenant was also lauded for overcoming major challenges in a "harsh deployed environment" and for "setting the standard for critical care nursing, force protection and equipment knowledge."

During the AFA conference, which ended Sept. 15, John Politi, AFA chairman of the board, presented nearly 50 individual and unit awards. The AFA's complete list of awards and winners is available at www.afa.org/AboutUs/nawards.asp.

(Staff Sgt. Zachary Wilson, assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas, contributed to this story.)

 

Air Mobility Command News Service is a service of the Internal Division
Office of Public Affairs
503 Ward Drive, Room 214
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225-5335
618-229-7821