Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark. A Welsh III presents the Lance P. Sijan Leadership award to Capt. David Plachno, a 2015 recipient, during a ceremony in the Pentagon, Washington. D.C., April 7, 2016. Plachno was a C-17A aircraft commander assigned to the 21st airlift squadron, Travis, Air Force Base, Calif. He deployed as a United Nations joint operation center team leader for the U.N. mission in South Sudan. He led a team of 14 international field grade officers enabling the employment of 1.1 billion dollars in aviation assets from nine countries that supplied 14 million pounds of supplies to U.N. staff and refugees. The Sijan award, first presented in 1981, was named in honor of the first Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Each year it is given to a senior and junior officer, and a senior and junior enlisted member who demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities though out the year. Then Lt. Sijan was shot down over Vietnam on Nov. 9, 1967. Despite severe injuries he evaded capture for 45 days. He was promoted to Capt. while in captivity. He later died while being held at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. The 2014 winners are: Lt. Col. Stephen Matthews, Capt. John Sullivan, Master Sgt. Janell McGivern and Senior Airman Tristen Windel. The winners for 2015 are: Maj. Patrick Kolesiak, Capt. David Plachno, Senior Master Sgt. Justin Deisch and Tech. Sgt. Kevin Henderson. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Varhegyi)
Date Taken: | 04.07.2016 |
Date Posted: | 04.11.2016 09:28 |
Photo ID: | 2511124 |
VIRIN: | 160407-F-FC975-299 |
Resolution: | 2100x1500 |
Size: | 1.96 MB |
Location: | PENTAGON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
Web Views: | 230 |
Downloads: | 7 |
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