Photo By Tech. Sgt. Kathleen LaCorte | U.S. Airmen assigned to the 122nd Fighter Wing, Indiana Air National Guard stand at...... read more read more
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FORT WAYNE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. — The 122nd Fighter Wing announced the recipients for their 2023 Outstanding Airmen of the Year (OAY) awards during an on-base ceremony, Jan. 20, 2024. These wing-level distinctions recognize high-performing Airmen who exceed the expectations of Air Force core values, leadership and job performance.
"Today is an awesome day," said Chief Master Sgt. Kyle Hoopingarner, 122nd Fighter Wing command chief and one of the OAY presenters. "We get to recognize outstanding performances from our Airmen from 2023."
The presented awards went to seven Airmen for individual categories and one group for a team category. Three recipients have already earned the Indiana state-level award for the Air National Guard, noncommissioned officer of the year, senior noncommissioned officer of the year and company grade officer of the year. The 122nd FW's NCO of the Year and SNCO of the Year will now compete at the regional level.
All Airmen in consideration underwent a thorough review process, and many met with a selection board. Yet, Hoopingarner says that after each review, the consistent feedback from the selection committee was amazement at their accomplishments and success across the wing. He shared that the impressive achievements of each Airman made the deliberation even more difficult.
The SNCO of the Year, Master Sgt. Daniel Martz, 122nd FW conventional munitions maintenance noncommissioned officer in charge, has 15 years of military service and was surprised to learn of his nomination while on deployment. Martz credits his success to the people in his department. He says he was able to take on additional duties due to his confidence in his team's training, dedication, and self-sufficiency.
"If you take care of them, then the mission will always be completed," said Martz. "That's just something I've always kind of lived by and felt that if you meet their needs, then they're gonna work harder for you and get stuff done."
The winners are:
Airman of the Year: Airman 1st Class Jeb Richey
Unit: 122nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Biography: Airman 1st Class Jeb Richey is a true example of what it means to be a Blacksnake. He was a critical player in completing a major avionics upgrade required on 14 of our A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft, valued at 350 million dollars. He ensured compliance before each aircraft departure, providing gaining units with combat-ready aircraft.
His ambition was identified through wing leadership, resulting in his selection to attend the national enlisted leadership symposium in Washington.
Lastly, Richey competed statewide and was awarded the Indiana National Guard scholarship to assist in his pursuit of completing the flight program at Indiana State University.
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Alex Mix
Unit: 122nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Biography: Tech. Sgt. Alex Mix embodies core values and continuously exemplifies "service before self." In the past year, he earned one of the highest honors by receiving the "John L. Levitow" award while attending a noncommissioned officer academy and earning a spot in the top one percent of his class.
Additionally, he led his three-person weapons load team to win the "122nd Maintenance Group Load Crew of the Year" award.
Mix was handpicked as a multi-capable Airman member of the "Charlie Agile Combat Employment Team" and certified as a loader in both the one and three-man positions. He also completed various combat sortie generation tasks outside of his primary job duties.
Furthermore, he is a pillar in the local community, volunteering as a coordinator at an elderly rehabilitation center. His dedication to excellence is shown through his many recognized awards this year and his selfless service.
Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Daniel Martz
Unit: 122nd Maintenance Squadron
Biography: Master Sgt. Daniel Martz has distinguished himself through his exceptional leadership style and robust technical expertise while assigned as the conventional munitions shop NCOIC. He was instrumental in the accurate build-up and expenditure of 150,000 pounds of both conventional and guided bombs, 64,000 rounds of 30mm ammunition, 470 rockets, and 16,000 sticks of countermeasures, which resulted in mission essential training that was crucial for 122nd FW pilots.
Additionally, Martz took the lead for 13 members of the munitions flight to Moody Air Force Base, supporting the 122nd FW's largest ACE training event.
Finally, he deployed in support of operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve, serving as the production section chief. There, he accomplished three separate munitions inventories, ensuring accountability for over 400 million dollars in munitions assets. His tireless efforts have ensured countless mission successes both at home and abroad.
First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Joshua Smith
Unit: 122nd Medical Group
Biography: Master Sgt. Joshua Smith is a true professional and exemplary Airman. During the Guardian Blitz Exercise, he supported over 200 Blacksnake Airmen, spending his evenings and weekends tending to the needs of others while also performing his duties as an egress technician.
He is an integral part of the Medical Group, regularly advising the commander and chief on wing policy, discipline and morale. He has most recently created a monthly newsletter to break down communication barriers for full-time and drill-status guardsmen, resulting in a more efficient work environment.
Off duty, Smith serves as a committee chairman at his church parish, organizing retreats for a congregation of over 200. Smith is a strong and visible leader in all aspects of life and never takes his diamond off.
Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Amanda Barton
Unit: 122nd Medical Group
Biography: Over this past year, Capt. Amanda Barton has had a strong presence at the wing and beyond. She served as the tactical combat casualty care officer in charge for the state partnership program medical exchange in Niger. There, she facilitated level two and three instructor courses for 19 Niger armed forces medical personnel, having an undeniable effect on the Niger force of more than 33,000.
Barton completed initial and advanced critical care air transport team courses and is the functional training manager for the 122nd CCATT team, managing all training requirements for six members in three diverse job categories.
While working in her civilian capacity as an ER nurse, Barton was a liaison for two of our junior enlisted who worked at Lutheran Hospital under the 122nd medical group affiliation. While the Airmen completed their 40 hours of training, she ensured they were cared for, even coming in on her non-scheduled days to provide oversight. Barton is a nurturing, well-rounded officer who continually exemplifies "service before self."
Honor Guard Member of the Year: Master Sgt. Daniel Lopez
Unit: 122nd Civil Engineer Squadron
Biography: Master Sgt. Daniel Lopez's superior performance throughout the year has distinguished him in maintaining the 122nd FW's honor guard mission. Lopez steadfastly performed 21 funeral honors, paying tribute to fallen comrades and providing solace to grieving families while exemplifying the Air Force's commitment to honoring service members' legacies.
Additionally, he executed three honor flight details, honoring over 100 veterans and showcasing our commitment to our nation's heroes. He performed five ceremonial unit details, honoring military traditions and bolstering unit morale. His dedication to excellence and commitment to service, selflessness and fortitude resulted in both past and present military members receiving the honor and recognition they deserved.
Lopez exemplifies the Air Force's core values, always ensuring excellence and integrity in all of his actions.
Blacksnake Team Award: The Recruiting Blitz Team
Members:
Senior Master Sgt. Zachary Spieth
Master Sgt. Cameron Bonner
Master Sgt. Marcus Bills
Master Sgt. Jack Glad
Tech. Sgt. James Blake
Tech. Sgt. Austin Bruce
Staff Sgt. Adam Jurek
Staff Sgt. Allyson Hannie
Airman 1st Class Andrew Duzan
Unit: 122nd Force Support Squadron
Biography: During 2023, the recruiting blitz team rallied fifteen unit-level representatives to successfully plan and execute over 80 recruiting events in 26 Indiana counties. This action directly contributed to an astounding 103 total accessions and an end strength of almost 103 percent, achieving the adjutant general's goal of 100 percent manning for the Indiana Air National Guard.
Operating outside of their regular duties to support an understaffed recruiting office, team members heavily contributed by leading, planning for, and working at recruiting events. They also used personal connections to extend reach in innovative recruiting markets. Their efforts resulted in immeasurable lead generation, increased community awareness and even planted seeds for future recruiting success.
Over the past year, this team did a tremendous job overcoming obstacles in an increasingly more difficult recruiting environment. The individual efforts of these team members are a great example of our Air Force
core value of "service before self," showing personal sacrifice by going above and beyond to ensure the success of the 122nd Fighter Wing.
Wing Commander and Command Chief Award: Senior Master Sgt. Nathan Hiegel
Unit: 122nd Fighter Wing
Biography: In his role in the inspector general's office, Senior Master Sgt. Nathan Hiegel has gone above and beyond expectations to lead the 122nd FW through a very successful 2023 annual inspection cycle. Hiegel dedicated countless hours coordinating, executing, evaluating and documenting the wing's annual exercises and an ACC-inspected readiness exercise validation, earning the wing the highest possible grades. He personally developed a master scenario event list of more than 220 individual exercise injects for the REV, ensuring that more than 400 Airmen were engaged in relevant training.
Additionally, Hiegel serves as a trusted SNCO in the complaints resolution process, where he helped resolve eight Airmen complaints relating to violations of standards. He has been an irreplaceable advocate for the 122nd, selflessly dedicated to ensuring the highest levels of wing readiness. He is an inspirational SNCO with monumental talent whose leadership has impacted the wing and local community invaluably. Hiegel embodies Blacksnake heritage in the finest fashion.
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2024 17:16 |
| Story ID: | 462826 |
| Location: | FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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