AFFTC announces annual award winners

  • Published
  • By 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Air Force Flight Test Center recently announced the installation's annual award winners 

The following are the annual award winners: 

-- Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Juante Smith, 95th Mission Support and Services Squadron unit deployment manager. Among his accomplishments during the year, Airman Smith coordinated about 100 sports and fitness events in the U.S. Air Forces Central's area of responsibility. He also performed 30 Edwards Blue Eagles Honor Guard functions. 

-- Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Surita Rorie, 412th Operations Support Squadron host aviation resource management noncommissioned officer in charge. Among her accomplishments during the year, Sergeant Rorie managed about 600 flight records for the HARM office and developed initial F-35 Lightning II proficiency training and tracking events program. 

-- Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. David Larriva, Explosive Ordnance Division chief. Among his accomplishments during the year, Sergeant Larriva led response teams on 42 missions and extracted 71 live unexploded ordnances. He was awarded a Bronze Star medal for his actions during his deployment at Baghdad, Iraq. 

-- Company Grade Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Gilbert Wyche, 95th Security Forces Squadron flight leader. Among his accomplishments during the year, Lieutenant Wyche commanded more than 60 security forces in covering the base. He was the flight commander of the Joint Area Support Group International Zone Police during his deployment. 

-- First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Sandra Pfeffer, 412th Operations Group first sergeant. Among her accomplishments during the year, Sergeant Pfeffer volunteered to fill first sergeant duties for the security forces in Sather Air Base, Iraq. She also rebuilt the 412th OG's family care program. 

-- Honor Guard of the Year: Staff Sgt. Terreil Reed, 412th Maintenance Group avionics sensor. Among his accomplishments during the year, Sergeant Reed performed 149 funerals in Southern California and volunteered for 79 ceremonial events for the Edwards Blue Eagles Honor Guard. He also trained 75 members on ceremonies, honors and protocols. 

-- Enlisted Individual Mobilization Augmentee of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Haseam Brock, 95th Security Forces Squadron flight chief. Among his accomplishments during the year, Sergeant Brock managed, planned and scheduled security forces duties for numerous routine operations including law enforcement, security patrol, wildlife and animal control, bicycle patrol and special posts. He volunteered to deploy for 179 days at Camp Bucca, Iraq. 

-- Officer Individual Mobilization Augmentee of the Year: Capt. Christopher Grenz, 95th Communications Group IMA communications officer. Among his accomplishments during the year, Captain Grenz saved about $1.4 million by reusing surplus information technology switches to upgrade national test capability. He also analyzed operations impact of the runway replacement construction project. 

-- Secretarial and Clerical Civilian of the Year: Lisa Camplin, 95th Security Forces Squadron commander secretary. Among her accomplishments during the year, Mrs. Camplin provided secretarial support to Edwards' largest squadron, consisting of 294 security forces, 100 contractors, 50 National Security Personnel System members and 50 individual mobilization augmentees. She provided crucial administrative and family support to 149 security forces troops. 

-- Staff, Specialist and Analyst Civilian of the Year: Bill Koukourikos, Air Force Flight Test Center Safety office safety and occupational health specialist. Among his accomplishments during the year, Mr. Koukourikos managed the Safety office's flight safety program for 11 squadrons, three detachments, the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and the Aero Club. He ensured safe and effective flight test of Edwards fleet, which include 90 aircraft of more than 15 different airframes. 

-- Technician Civilian of the Year: Randall Wells Jr., 95th Medical Support Squadron radiology technologist. Among his accomplishments during the year, Mr. Wells received the Air Force Materiel Command Outstanding Civilian Diagnostic Imaging Technologist of the Year award. He prepared the radiology department for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care survey. 

-- Trades and Labor Civilian of the Year: Shawn Cotey, 412th Maintenance Squadron munitions maintenance mechanic. Among his accomplishments during the year, Mr. Cotey tackled the building of 27 BDU-50s, four GBU-39s and four CBU-105s for the B-1B Lancer. He also built and processed about 2,100 chaff and flare countermeasure munitions for the F-22 Raptor. 

-- Scientific and Engineering Civilian of the Year: Joseph Hunt, 95th Civil Engineering and Transportation Directorate mechanical engineer. Among his accomplishments during the year, Mr. Hunt resolved multiple construction issues for the military family housing Military Construction project. He also spearheaded emergency repairs of the Airborne Laser hangar's fire suppression and fire alarm system. 

-- Supervision and Management Civilian of the Year: John Wood, Air Force Flight Test Center Contracting office quality assurance branch chief. Among his accomplishments during the year, Mr. Wood mentored 12 flight and ground safety personnel to ensure continuity of base flight operations. He maintained oversight of more than 80 flight contracts valued at $60 billion. 

-- Team of the Year: National Security Personnel System project team with the Air Force Flight Test Center Directorate of Manpower and Personnel. Among their accomplishments during the year, the NSPS project team educated the AFFTC workforce on the personnel system, its policies, processes, concepts and ideas. They ensured AFFTC's readiness and compliance with the Department of Defense, Air Force and Air Force Materiel Command NSPS requirements. The team converted about 2,100 employees into the system. 

The winners were selected from units within the 95th Air Base Wing, the 412th Test Wing and AFFTC.