AETC selects Troester to compete for GEICO Military Service Awards Published Oct. 21, 2009 By John Ingle 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Air Education and Training Command selected Staff Sgt. Pamela Troester, 383rd Training Squadron mental health instructor, to represent the command in the 2009 Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards. Sergeant Troester will compete against her peers in the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention category. Sergeant Troester said she is honored to be nominated to represent AETC, but, she was doing something that is incumbent upon every Air Force member. "Alcohol and drug awareness, education and prevention is the job of every single military member, and I am just one in a very large group of responsibility," Sergeant Troester said. "As I teach newly assigned mental health technicians, I use moments like the GEICO award as teaching opportunities about our universal responsibilities in this very important aspect." According to AETC's announcement, Sergeant Troester effectively trained the Air Force's future mental health technicians by teaching 60 Airmen in Training as an interim instructor supervisor. Nintey-nine percent of Airmen in her course graduated, averaging a 92 grade. In addition to in-class efforts, the sergeant also obtained her recertification as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Counselor. She also developed an initiative to raise drug and alcohol abuse awareness for 959 Airmen. The GEICO Military Service Awards recognize enlisted active duty, reserve or National Guard members from all military service branches for contributions to military or private-sector communities in any of the following categories: drug and alcohol abuse prevention; fire safety and fire prevention; and traffic safety and accident prevention.