Command Post NCOIC receives MAJCOM award

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  An Edwards noncommissioned officer shattered the competition as she won the 2008 Air Force Materiel Command's Command Post NCO of the Year. 

Tech. Sgt. Sailanka Pangilinan, 95th Air Base Wing Command Post noncommissioned officer in charge, bested other AFMC command post NCOs. 

"The award reflects the command post's group effort," Sergeant Pangilinan said. "This is not accomplished by a single person. You are only as good as your weakest link. The award proves that we're able to accomplish anything that we would put on our minds to." 

In 2008, Sergeant Pangilinan led six Airmen in a single controller command post, directing command and control for Edwards. She and her team expertly processed 188 in-flight and ground emergencies, keeping senior leadership informed of status. As the C2 focal point for the entire base, Tech. Sgt. P, as she is commonly known, flawlessly implemented recall procedures and maintained 67 different rosters. 

During the height of Southern California wildfires in 2008, Sergeant Pangilinan gathered information for release to higher headquarters. She also coordinated notification when Hurricane Ike struck in September 2008, running recall and accountability drill for more than 15,000 people. Sergeant Pangilinan oversaw all the Command Post functions despite 50 percent decrease in manpower as well as evaluated 13 major areas for the Unit Compliance Inspection. As a result, the Command Post was recognized by the Air Force Materiel Command Inspector General as an Outstanding Team and received an "Excellent" rating during the recent Unit Compliance Inspection. 

As part of her self-improvement, Sergeant Pangilinan completed a 95th ABW command chief award scoring training as well as sat on two Airman boards for the 1st and 2nd quarter awards for the 95th ABW. She completed 21 semester hours toward her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing from the American Military University. 

While serving as an American Red Cross Board Member, Sergeant Pangilinan received an Angel Award for Excellence for connecting emergency calls for 1,500 California families. As a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association, she assisted with the set up for a summer bash and secured rides for the Airmen Against Drunk Driving program, chalking up 124 saves in 2008 and cutting the base's DUIs 50 percent from 2007. She also partnered with the unit Combined Federal Campaign representatives to rally donations from shift workers, collecting about $900 for the campaign. 

"I can think of no one more deserving of this award than Tech. Sgt. P," said Col. Nancy Reeves-Flores, 95th ABW vice commander and Sergeant Pangilinan's supervisor. "I have been impressed with Tech. Sgt. P's expertise and leadership from day 1. She and her team perform superbly and easily handle any situation that may arise on this base". 

Sergeant Pangilinan said she doesn't feel it is just her award but is a Command Post award because of the support and help from her team. 

"It is a mutual effort between me and my fellow Airmen," she said. "I feel it was a team award. I really believe that people will rise above what they are expected to do once they are given the tools and training they need. I really think those things are essential for somebody to be able to be motivated. A lot of the support and the success are due to the support we received from senior leadership."