Photo By Senior Airman Erica Webster | The 908th Flying Training Wing's annual award winners pose for a photo at the wing's...... read more read more
The 908th Flying Training Wing held an awards banquet March 1, 2025, at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center in Montgomery, Alabama.
The annual event serves as a celebratory reminder, highlighting the 908th FTW’s standout Airmen throughout the 2024 calendar year.
Following the introduction of the nominees, there was a POW/MIA table acknowledgement prior to dinner, then came the event’s guest speaker, Chief Master Sgt. Neco L. Johnson, the commandant for the Air Force First Sergeant Academy at Maxwell Air Force Base’s Gunter Annex, who spoke on the importance of leadership within the Air Force along with the value of taking initiative and selflessness as an Airman.
“Leadership isn't just about making the mission happen in our own functional areas,” said Johnson, “It's also about looking out for those people next to you, all day, every day, right? It's about seeing the bigger picture, even when you're wounded, exhausted and having to dig deep to find the ability inside of you to lead. That's what it's all about.”
Following Johnson’s speech was the announcement of the winners for each category.
Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Tynthia Bedgood, 908th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Jesse P. Liethen, 908th Operations Support Squadron
Senior NCO of the Year: Master Sgt. James A. Emanual, 703rd Helicopter Squadron
First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Daunte Saloy, 908th OSS
Company Grade Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Troy T. Smith, 908th OSS
Civilian Category II of the Year: Mrs. Katheryn Wasson, 908th Maintenance Group
Civilian Category III of the Year: Mr. James Rickles, 908th OSS
Squadron of the Year: 908th Operations Support Squadron
The banquet closed with a speech from the 908th FTW Commander, Col. Christopher Lacouture, who was grateful for all the hard work put in by the Airmen of the wing.
“I was sitting down with [908th FTW Deputy Commander] Col. Bennet and [908th FTW Command Chief] Chief Maloney, and I'm sitting there thinking about all the things that we have done,” said Lacouture, “I filled a page, then flipped it over and filled that side of the page before I had to stop myself because it was just way too much. The point is, if you're looking for efficiency and effectiveness, look here, because you deliver.”
Lacouture, recounted the effort it took to make this event possible, thanking the event’s committee and all other volunteers involved in making the event possible.
“There were times where things that we didn't expect came up as a problem,” he said, “And there were times even I, as a true believer, started to waver a little bit, but they solved them.”
The Colonel’s speech concluded with a final commendation of the winners.
“Congratulate yourselves,” he said. “You've done an excellent job, and I am truly proud of what you have accomplished.”
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2025 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 492024 |
| Location: | MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Maxwell Air Force Base
