Photo By Capt. Jason Carr | Senior Airman Dhruva Poluru, 107th Attack Wing, finalizes a presentation with members...... read more read more
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Niagara Falls NY- Every year since the awards inception in 1968, hundreds of thousands of airmen are nominated for Airman of the Year of their respective wings. From there, nominees continue to progress to larger and larger pools of applicants, until eventually only one is named “Outstanding Airman of the Year.”
For his considerable and impressive efforts, Senior Airman Dhurva Poluru of the 107th Attack Wing has earned his place among the select few to achieve such recognition as 2022’s Outstanding Airman of the Year Award for the entire Air National Guard.
“We are incredibly proud of Poluru winning the Airman of the Year Award for the entire Air National Guard”, said Colonel Andrew Carlson, 107th Attack Wing commander. “His demonstration of dedication, hard work, innovation, and ambassadorship is a great reflection of what the 107th Attack Wing is all about.”
Poluru currently serves with the 222nd Command and Control Squadron in Chantilly, Virginia, a geographically separated unit of the 107th Attack Wing, as well as the National Reconnaissance Agency. In his role he serves as the primary government representative to a team of 190 analysts across various locations which provide Space Domain Awareness support to United States Space Command.
“The work that Poluru has done, the impact goes well outside the 222d Command and Control Squadron,” said 222 CACS Command Chief Master Sergeant Stephen Davies. “His commitment to space operations tradecraft and overall professional development as an Airman is extremely motivating.”
Poluru is credited as being instrumental in several projects, including delivering high profile operations briefs with Brazilian Air Force command staff during State Partnership events, managing roughly $150 million worth of U.S. Space Force assets, as well as helping prep his team for the Air National Guard’s first ever participation in the SACT war games, resulting in zero critical errors. He has also been lauded as a top performer by the New York TAG, and several other members of the 107th command staff.
“To see that the work that I do being recognized, even working remotely, and leadership from all around the world seeing the results of my work means more than I can express,” said Poluru.
Poluru finds time to devote to completing his capstone course towards earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical/ Aerospace Engineering. Outside a demanding service/ school balance, he also finds time for philanthropic endeavors. Recently, he was heavily involved in organizing a 72-member charity golf event, the proceeds of which supported an impoverished athletics program in Hyderabad, India.
“I truly enjoy what I do for all the different organizations I support, and I'm glad I can bring my technical background and expertise into it,” said Poluru.
Created by Harold Brown, former Secretary of the Air Force in 1968, nominees compete in one of three categories (Airman, Non-commissioned Officer, Senior Non-commissioned Officer), and judged not only on the servicemembers achievements, conduct and performance of the previous year, but also their conduct outside duty hours. These select few nominees are not only regarded as some of the top performers of their wing, but also the embodiment of what it means to be an “outstanding airman.”
“The 107th Attack Wing has amazing airmen and Poluru is one of those exceptional airmen who gets to represent all of them. He is a person of sound character and has a wholesome personality,” commented 107th Command Chief Master Sergeant Edward Stefik. “Poluru is an outstanding example of the 21st Century Airman, and one of the humblest people I know. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for him.”
Poluru added, “I was given a lot of responsibility as an A1C… I found that balancing additional supervision duties and added taskers based on job proficiency, helped me and my expectations grow.”
“There's always a learning curve, but the way you adapt to what's thrown at you is what matters more than what you might bring coming into a new venture,” he continued.
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2023 15:12 |
| Story ID: | 447162 |
| Location: | NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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