Edwards Airmen, Marines among those honored by Lancaster West Rotary Club Published June 1, 2011 By Diane Betzler Staff writer LANCASTER, Calif. -- Six Airmen and two Marines from Edwards were honored by the Lancaster West Rotary Club during its 5th Annual Military Awards luncheon, May 23. The event, which was a personal salute to America's Armed Forces and to all those who served, was held at the Hellenic Center in Lancaster and also honored two California Army National Guardsmen from the Palmdale Armory. "We're a military community so we want to recognize our local military," said club member George Lawrence. "We support the people who support the community," agreed Dudley Jennings, also a Rotary Club member. The honorees were first recognized by their particular military attachment for service above and beyond the call of duty. Rotarians show their support each May, which is National Military Appreciation Month, by holding a luncheon and presenting each honoree with a specially made plaque, compliments of the club. Col. Stephen O'Connor, Air Force Flight Test Center vice commander, introduced the five award-winning Airmen and two Army Guardsmen and gave a brief overview of the Airmen's award-winning accomplishments. Senior Airman Sinuhe Brito-Aguirre, a medical technician with the 95th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, was named AFFTC 2010 Airman of the Year. He served nine months as a combat medic in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. During that tour he participated in more than 100 ground assault convoys and logged more than 800 hours covering a 5,500-square-kilometer area of responsibility with no casualties. He helped reduce the malnutrition rate by 50 percent in one of the poorest villages in Paktya, Afghanistan. The senior Airman received the Air Force Combat Action Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal for his accomplishments. Colonel O'Connor said Airman Brito-Aguirre is currently working on a technical management degree at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and eventually plans to attend the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to fulfill his ultimate goal of becoming a flight surgeon. Next, the colonel introduced Tech Sgt. Justin Reese, who was named the 2010 AFFTC Noncommissioned Officer of the year. An F-35 electrical environmental systems specialist, Sergeant Reese is the premier specialist assigned to the 461st Aircraft Maintenance Unit at the 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Colonel O'Connor said. "While deployed to King Faisal Air Base in Saudi Arabia, his direct aircraft maintenance support is credited with playing a major role in more than 700 successful missions that achieved air superiority over the skies of Iraq," Colonel O'Connor said. Sergeant Reese later applied his skills as a systems specialist to enter F-35 aircraft data in the first-ever $225 million multi-national Computerized Maintenance Management System. "He designed the entire maintenance and safety blueprint for the first F-35 developmental test organization. His efforts won him the 412th MXG NCO of the quarter and F-35 Joint Program Officer NCO of the quarter for the third quarter of 2010." The colonel said Sergeant Reese's safety blueprint has become the industry benchmark for aerospace maintenance, "He was personally lauded by Congressman Kevin McCarthy and Lockheed Martin President of Aeronautics, Ralph Heath, which won him the 412th MXG NCO of the Year in 2010." Master Sgt. Phillip Gettins won the 2010 AFFTC First Sergeant of the Year award and was also honored at the Rotary recognition luncheon, but was unable to attend because he had a permanent change of station to Kadena Air Base, Japan. In addition to serving stateside, Sergeant Gettins has served in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kosovo and Iraq. Senior Master Sgt. Mario Aceves-Fonseca was awarded the AFFTC Senior Noncommissioned Officer of 2010. He is the 95th Medical Operations Squadron superintendent. A vocational nurse, Aceves-Fonseca was instrumental in bridging coalition and partnerships with local emergency medical service agencies. In 2003 he became an Air Force recruiter and is credited for transforming what was once a low-producing market into a "powerhouse" activity, Colonel O'Connor said. He earned the Top Rookie Recruiter of the Year for 2004, Colonel O'Connor said. "His performance earned him a second consecutive Senior Recruiter Badge and contributed to the 369th Recruiting Squadron receiving the Air Force Recruiting Service's Enlisted Accessions Standard of Excellence Award in 2005," said the colonel. In 2006 Sergeant Aceves-Fonseca was assigned the Operational Medicine Flight chief and 5th Medical Operations Squadron superintendent, where he led 106 enlisted personnel in 12 career fields while at the same time providing "top-notch" medical care to 15,000 beneficiaries. Sergeant Aceves-Fonseca also supported two nuclear wings. Colonel O'Connor said that the Nuclear Surety Inspection ratings he received were excellent and consistent and earned him the 2006 Air Base Wing Tuskegee SNCO of the year; the Lance P. Sijan SNCO and Air Combat Command's Olson/Wegner Aerospace SNCO of the Year in 2007. Last year Sergeant Aceves-Fonseca was reassigned to Edwards and was selected as the 2010 SNCO of the year for the 95th Medical Group. He was a leader in the Feed the Hungry campaign and helped raise over $4,000 in donations that were used to feed and clothe over 1,000 local citizens. First Lieutenant Joseph J. Sysko was the final Air Force award recipient being honored by the Rotarians. He is the AFFTC Company Grade Officer of the Year for 2010 and the Air Force Materiel Command Financial Analysis Officer for 2010. Lieutenant Sysko is the deputy commander of the 95th Air Base Wing Financial Analysis Flight and is responsible for the execution of 95th ABW's $260 million annual budget as well as the certification of over $1.9 billion in appropriated funds at Edwards. His accomplishments range from teaming with contracting and the 95th Force Support Squadron to reopen the Airman's Dinning Facility, to leading Financial Management deployment briefings for approximately 360 warfighters, preparing them for operations in their area of responsibility. The Palmdale National Guard Armory C-Company 1st Battalion won the U.S. Army National Guard Unit of the Year award. Sgt. John Cox and Staff Sgt. Eric Laufer accepted the award on behalf of the battalion. Sergeant Laufer said Unit 185 Armor served two deployments in the Middle East and its members stand ready to put their lives on the line for their country again. He said the men of his unit do the same job as the active duty Army. "Our unit served 18 months in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. We were deployed again in 2008 to Basawul, and we're ready to go again if or when we're needed," he said. Two Marines from the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764 each won an award and were also recognized by the Rotarians. Gunnery Sgt. Tim LaCoe of the HMM 764 introduced the award-winning Marines, Lance Cpl. Kalab Lund, who was awarded Marine of the Year; and Sgt. Joe Johnson, who was awarded Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Rotary Club past President Tim Fuller emceed the event.