COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Out of 17 categories, only 17 can win an Annual Award trophy; much like any competition, the margins were tight and all nominees, as well as recipients, worked hard year-round to receive recognition for 2019 achievements.
Mirroring the sports-themed awards, the banquet was held in casual or the choice of the Airman Battle Uniform or Operational Camouflage Pattern attire, with an all American barbeque dinner and the Mississippi University for Women’s athletics director as the guest speaker, Jason Trufant.
“The awards recipients this evening were selected based on large part to the Air Force’s core values,” Trufant said.
Trufant related his university’s team values to the Air Force’s values.
He explained he wants his student athletes to succeed just as the Air Force wants Airmen to succeed. He explained how living with integrity, love of service, and excellence can help anyone in service and out achieve incredible things.
“If everyone on the team is not committed to the same standards then success will be impossible,” he said.
After congratulating the nominees on their hard work and success, he turned the stage over to Col. Samantha Weeks, 14th Flying Training Wing commander.
“It really takes every member of Team BLAZE to make sure we truly can make the world’s best pilots,” Weeks said. ”Thank you for coming out from the ‘W’ to connect to our community and our base with the same purpose mission of being excellent in all we do.”
The following is a list of winners in their respective category:
Airman of the Year: Staff Sgt. Dylan Fivecoate, 14th Operations Group
NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Quincy Harris, 14th Mission Support Group
Senior NCO of the Year: Master Sgt. Michael McElroy, 14th OG
Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Christy Martin, 14th OG
Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Erin McCormick, Wing Staff Agency
Flight Commander of the Year: Maj. Julianne Gillespie, 14th Medical Group
First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Nathan Sullivan, 14th OG
Honor Guard Member of the Year: Staff Sgt. Luis Serrano-Solano, 14th MDG
Non-supervisory Category I Civilian of the Year: Nemesia Gutierrez, 14th OG
Supervisory Category II Civilian of the Year: Jeremiah Story, 14th OG
Non-supervisory Category II Civilian of the Year: Kenneth Fleming, 14th MSG
Supervisory Category III Civilian of the Year: Allen Reed, 14th MSG
Non-supervisory Category I Civilian of the Year: Scott Shuttleworth, WSA
First Assignment Instructor Pilot of the Year: Capt. Matthew Thomas, 14th OG
Instructor Pilot of the Year: Capt. Julian Kinonen, 14th OG
Volunteer of the Year: Capt. Julian Kinonen, 14th OG
Innovation Team of the Year: Readiness & Emergency Management, 14th MSG