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Luke security forces NCO wins top reservist honors

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Delgado and Deborah Silliman Wolfe
  • Thunderbolt Staff Writers
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  A Luke Air Force Base member was recently named as one of the Outstanding Individual Reservists of the Year.

Tech. Sgt. William Cullins, 56th Security Forces Squadron flight sergeant, won the Air Force-level award in the junior NCO category. 

Sergeant Cullins was selected from more than 40 nominees considered in four categories, including Airman, junior NCO, senior NCO and officer, said Col. Nancy Zbyszinski, Air Force Reserve Command Readiness Management Group commander.
The award winners are scheduled to attend a Reserve Officer Association conference in Washington, D.C., in February where they will be officially recognized for their achievement.

"It's kind of humbling, winning an Air Force-level award," said Sergeant Cullins, who is an individual mobilization augmentee. "We have reservists fighting overseas in the war, and I come here and manage people. It was really surprising to me that I won the award. I did a lot of good stuff while I was deployed to Luke, but there are a lot of people out there sacrificing more than I am."

Sergeant Cullins served 10 years active-duty in the Air Force, and five as a reservist. As well as currently serving as an IMA for the 56th SFS, he serves as a police officer with the city of Tempe, a job he went back to in September after volunteering for the 56th SFS here for 17 months.

"Security forces are hurting manning-wise, because we are heavily deployed," he said. "And I wanted to do my part to help out and fill in for deployed members."

While serving in his IMA position, Sergeant Cullins worked as a flight sergeant for 56th SFS, managing 74 military and civilian personnel on the swing shift, which runs 1:30 to 9:30 p.m. During his deployment here, he also finished his master's degree in business management, volunteered with the Junior ROTC, organized a law enforcement career field briefing for local Cub Scouts, and completed training to become a state terrorism liaison officer.

He also was the 56th SFS coordinator for the annual SS Mayaguez Memorial honoring fallen 56th SFS members, volunteered at the base tax center, and managed the first 56th SFS traffic enforcement team reducing traffic violations by 30 percent. 

The NCE attributes his win to being active in the base community and to his unit's caring-leaders.