KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Every Defender’s career is outlined with critical responsibilities, whether guarding missiles or granting access through security gates. It requires a high level of leadership skills for any situation they may encounter, even in the classroom.
On base, Defenders from the 81st Security Forces Squadron earned the John L. Levitow Award at Airman Leadership School six times since the start of 2023, three of them consecutively awarded in 2024: Staff Sgt. Joyce Harkness (23-1), Senior Airman Natasha Alexander (23-7), Staff Sgt. Joshua Cross (24-1), Senior Airman Emerson Hill (24-4), Staff Sgt. John Roach (24-5) and Senior Airman Hunter Knutson (24-6).
The Levitow Award carries the highest honor in professional military education and is presented to the member who achieves the highest overall standing based on a combination of academic scores, performance evaluations and leadership qualities.
The Defenders were primed for success as soon as they graduated Basic Military Training and stepped into the role of leaders in technical school. They guided their peers through real-world scenarios while learning the intricacies of being a Defender in training.
When they arrived at their first duty station, they were entrusted by the installation and its residents to uphold good order and discipline, safety and security.
“We are the command and control of every incident, from gate runners to reckless drivers,” said Senior Airman Hunter Knutson, 81st SFS base defense operations center controller. “People look to us when they need help and if they don’t know what to do, everything falls apart. It's on us as Defenders to hold each other accountable and continue striving to perform better every day without fail.”
Knutson credits his prior supervisors and mentors who molded him into the leader he’s become, and the Airman below who allow him to lead and mentor them.
“I feel very blessed to have won the award because it means my classmates deemed me as worthy and that means the world to me,” he said.
With a glimpse into the responsibilities all six of the award-winning Defenders have now as supervisors after ALS, they can enter their duties as noncommissioned officers fully prepared for any situation that crosses their path while on their Air Force journey.
“I am beyond words and proud of our Defenders. I look forward to watching them further their own professional development and grow,” said Maj. Shaun Odell, 81st SFS commander. “Seeing them accomplish earning the Levitow Award consecutively only reaffirms that some of the greatest NCOs are entering the Air Force.”