412th Test Wing honors star performers

  • Published
  • By Laisa Leao
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs Office
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

The 412th Test Wing recognized its top performers at its annual awards ceremony on Feb. 20.

Test wing commander Col. Tom Tauer, and Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Skarloken, wing command chief, presented the awards.

"This entire team, not just the award winners or nominees, should be proud of what we do," Tauer said. He noted a long list of accomplishments from the past year, including accelerating the $80-million B-21 program, testing two combat collaborative aircraft, securing F-35 nuclear-capable status and advancing the long-range standoff weapon.

"This wing’s work on the B-2 over the last several decades is what enabled the largest strike of B-2s in Operation Midnight Hammer this year," Tauer said. "Truly impressive and it makes me really proud to be part of this wing."

Portraits of the winners will be displayed at the entrance of test wing headquarters. "The things that we do here are the future of the Air Force," Skarloken said.

The event's guest speaker, retired Chief Master Sgt. Roosevelt Jones, based his remarks on the theme "A Night of Stars."

"These stars don’t shine alone. They shine because of alignment, because of the gravity that pulled you here to Edwards Air Force Base," Jones said. "Family is where standards are first learned, where accountability is molded long before it is enforced, where service becomes a value, not an obligation. Every Airman recognized tonight is supported by someone who made it possible."


Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Skarloken, 412th Test Wing command chief, congratulates Senior Airman Julia Philips, 412th Medical Group, for winning the 2025 Airman of the Year award during the wing's annual awards ceremony on Feb. 20. (U.S. Air Force photo by Blaine Torres)

Senior Airman Julia Philips, 412th Medical Group, won the Airman of the Year award. Philips supported Operation Inherent Resolve as a tactical casualty combat care instructor and security forces augmentee. She also filled non-commissioned officer roles across two medical fields.


Clockwise from top left: 
Alysha Miller, 412th Civil Engineer Group, won the Civilian of the Year Category I award. 
Melissa Field, 412th Maintenance Group, won the 2025 Air and Space Forces Key Support Liaison of the Year award.
Marcea Ascencio, 412th Operations Group, won the Civilian of the Year Category III award. 
Master Sgt. Julia Sydow, 412th Mission Support Group, won the First Seargent of the Year award.
Senior Airman Julia Philips, 412th Medical Group, won the Airman of the Year award. 
Tech. Sgt. Derek Day, 412th Mission Support Group, won the Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year award.
Tech. Sgt. Halima Burton, 412th Medical Group, won the Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award.
Capt. Jenna Kuperberg, 412th Maintenance Group, won the Company-Grade Officer of the Year award.
Senior Master Sgt. Paul Couch II, 412th Maintenance Group, won the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award. 
Bryn Cusumano, 412th Maintenance Group, won the Civilian of the Year Category II award.
(Portraits by Chloe Bonaccorsi, photo by Blaine Torres)

Tech. Sgt. Halima Burton, 412th Medical Group, won the Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award. Burton led her team through 30 process improvements and staffing shortages, saving 720 man-hours. As Air Force Sergeants Association president, she led 552 members and hosted numerous community and leadership events.

Senior Master Sgt. Paul Couch II, 412th Maintenance Group, won the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award. Couch II authored the group’s manning support plan during the longest government shutdown in history. He procured $264,000 in parts to advance 11 national defense programs.

Capt. Jenna Kuperberg, 412th Maintenance Group, won the Company-Grade Officer of the Year award. Kuperberg led 362 workers to sustain 17 F-35 aircraft, achieving 112 joint program office milestones and 809 developmental test hours.

Maj. Jun Ko, 412th Medical Group, won the Field-Grade Officer of the Year award. Ko rectified 20 deficiencies for the group’s accreditation inspection, the best record in nine years. He established a wing resilience course and expanded in-house surgical care as the top-producing dentist.

Maj. Justin Marsh, 412th Operations Group, won the IMA Field-Grade Officer of the Year award. Marsh led strategic planning to streamline safety for a $675 million, 27-aircraft test fleet. He secured over 1,000 days of reserve pilot support to fill a 26 percent manning shortfall.

Tech. Sgt. Derek Day, 412th Mission Support Group, won the Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year award. Day managed a training plan for 65 ceremonial guardsmen, enabling 2,500 military funerals. He also dispatched 64 color guards for professional sports, memorials and parades.

Master Sgt. Julia Sydow, 412th Mission Support Group, won the First Seargent of the Year award. Sydow led 14 additional-duty first sergeants, organized volunteers to keep the base gym open during the government shutdown and revamped the base food pantry.

Alysha Miller, 412th Civil Engineer Group, won the Civilian of the Year Category I award. Miller directed crews through multiple vehicle accidents, safeguarded lives during medical emergencies, and certified 40 members in CPR.

Bryn Cusumano, 412th Maintenance Group, won the Civilian of the Year Category II award. Cusumano overhauled 111 programs and managed an audit of 116 candidates, increasing capability by 25 percent. Her work was pivotal in securing certifications for 85 members, enabling the delivery of the second B-21 aircraft.

Marcea Ascencio, 412th Operations Group, won the Civilian of the Year Category III award. Ascencio served as test conductor for the historic YIFQ-44A first flight, achieved in a record 16 months. She also spearheaded YFQ-42A flight tests, enhancing U.S. air superiority.

Melissa Field, 412th Maintenance Group, won the 2025 Air and Space Forces Key Support Liaison of the Year award. Field orchestrated numerous family support events, fostered community relations through workshops and chaired the children’s holiday party for 267 children.

The Infrastructure Resiliency and Modernization team from the 412th Civil Engineer Group won the 2025 Team of the Year award. The team operates, protects and maintains the world’s largest airfield, which includes four paved runways, 16 lakebed runways, and over 2,000 facilities valued at $15 billion. The team's work supports advanced test and evaluation capabilities for 12,000 personnel across 308,000 acres.

The B-21 Combined Test Force from the 420th Flight Test Squadron was named the 2025 Test Team of the Year. The team was recognized for accelerating a 180-day test plan into 73 days, securing an $11.8 billion acquisition milestone with half the number of missions. The team also executed the first flight of the second B-21 aircraft, advancing the nation's next-generation long-range strike capability.

To watch the ceremony on YouTube, please visit