Annual Awards honor Guardsmen, fighter wing supporters Published Oct. 6, 2011 By the Office of Public Affairs 162nd Fighter Wing TUCSON, Ariz -- Servicemembers, families, friends, distinguished guests and visitors filled Maintenance Hangar 10 at Tucson International Airport for the 162nd Fighter Wing's 2011 Annual Awards and Hometown Heroes Salute ceremony here Oct. 1. (Click here for photos from the Hometown Heroes Salute) (Click here to view the Hometown Heroes Salute video on Facebook) The ceremony honored wing members, teams and community supporters for outstanding contributions or personal development. Arizona Air National Guard officials also honored wing members and families who supported deployments from 2008 through 2010. The celebrations began prior to the ceremony when spouses, significant others, children, and individuals who are considered "centers of influence" for the servicemembers were presented awards by state and wing leadership. A rosewood pen and pencil set with the Hometown Heroes Salute logo engraved was presented to each Airman's spouse or significant other. Dog tags with the logo engraved were presented to each child. A special center of influence medallion was also presented to each family that supported a deployed wing member during their extended absence. Each Guardsman who deployed was presented during the ceremony with a folded and framed American flag or a special letter of appreciation, encased in a rosewood frame, with a Hometown Heroes Salute coin mounted on the frame, personalized with the Airman's name. The letter was signed by the Chief, National Guard Bureau, and Command Chief of the Air National Guard. Brig. Gen. Michael Colangelo, the Arizona Air National Guard commander, made the trip from state headquarters in Phoenix to preside over the ceremony. "It's not very often that I get to speak to this many Airmen, and family and friends who support them," said General Colangelo. "I want to tell you that the best airplanes and all the equipment are absolutely worthless without the best, professional, technically qualified Airmen in the Air Force. I'm here to tell you that all of you here in this hangar today are those Airmen." According to Col. Mick McGuire, the wing commander, the event was a fitting tribute the volunteerism of the wing's members and each one's personal support network at home. "Annual awards recipients, they couldn't have done it without each of you and their associated family members. Hometown heroes salute honors all the Airmen in the Arizona National Guard who have deployed since 2008. To all of you thanks again for your service," said Colonel McGuire. 162ND FIGHTER WING TEAM PERFORMANCE AWARD Aerospace Ground Equipment OUTSTANDING PERSONNEL OF THE YEAR Outstanding Officer and Arizona Adjutant General's Medal Lt. Col. Mike Martinez Outstanding Senior NCO Senior Master Sgt. Alex Leyvas Outstanding NCO Staff Sgt. Tiffany Hoeck Outstanding Airman Senior Airman David Luu OUTSTANDING SECTION OF THE YEAR Operation Snowbird BRIGADIER GENERAL RONALD L. KURTH COMMANDERS AWARD Lt. Col. Mitch Rebman MAJOR GENERAL DONALD E. MORRIS LEADERSHIP AWARD Senior Master Sgt. David Crawford COMMANDERS SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Operations Support Training Retired Chief Master Sgt.Barry Soulvie Diane Schiff 162FW Honor Guard MAJ. GEN. DONALD L. OWENS JUNIOR OFFICER AWARD 1st Lt. James Barnett AFA JUNIOR AIRMAN AWARD Tech. Sgt. Erica Seehaver AQUINO GROUND SAFETY MEMORIAL AWARD Tech. Sgt. Mitzi Eggers-Aguirre JOHN H. "SQUARE DEAL" MCNEILL AWARD Lt . Col. Doug Hadley 162FW MINUTEMAN COMMITTEE GUARDSMAN OF THE YEAR Staff Sgt. Luis Aguilar MINUTEMAN EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR University Physicians Healthcare F-16 INSTRUCTOR PILOT OF THE YEAR Lt. Col. Eric Salomonson OPERATIONS APPRECIATION AWARD Crew Chiefs TUCSON METROPOLITAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AWARD Master Sgt. Joseph Andrukaitis 162ND FIGHTER WING COMMAND CHIEF AWARD Staff Sgt. Jordan Jones 162ND FIGHTER WING MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Lt. Col. John Murphy Senior Master Sgt. Kristin LaFrance FAMILY READINESS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD Southern Arizona Patriot Guard Riders AIR FORCE INTERNATIONAL MILITARY STUDENT OFFICE OF THE YEAR 162FW IMSO Office AZ DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL Staff Sgt. Trevor Jones FIRST SERGEANT OF THE YEAR Senior Master Sgt. Marc Polanco HOMETOWN HEROES SALUTE HONOREES Mission Support Group Tech. Sgt. David Acedo Staff Sgt. Mario Alvarez Senior Airman Raymond Armenta Tech. Sgt. David Arneson Staff Sgt. Peter Arnold Staff Sgt. Melissa Ballesteros Staff Sgt. Virgil Bandy Lt. Col. Garry Beauregard Staff Sgt. Eduardo Benitez Staff Sgt. Haley Bia Master Sgt. Christopher Black Lt. Col. Gregory Bliss Staff Sgt. Philip Butkins Staff Sgt. John Buttram Senior Airman Sylvia Calmelat Capt. ISenior Airmanel Camacho Staff Sgt. Jesus Cardona Tech. Sgt. Michael Carpenter Tech. Sgt. Andres Carroll Tech. Sgt. Richard Chamblain Tech. Sgt. Murriel Champion Staff Sgt. Margarita Chavez Tech. Sgt. Bradley Clifford Tech. Sgt. Alvin Conde Tech. Sgt. David Crawford Staff Sgt. Mark Cruce Staff Sgt. Joseph Devos Master Sgt. Lionel Dixon Staff Sgt. Timothy Fleshman Tech. Sgt. Santos Flores Maj. James Fox Staff Sgt. Ronald Garcia Staff Sgt. David Garcia Staff Sgt. Amir Gomez Master Sgt. Emily Guchereau 1st Lt. Jason Gutierrez Staff Sgt. Brad Guzman Staff Sgt. Dawn Hanby Master Sgt. Michael Hawkins Staff Sgt. Luke Heberle Staff Sgt. Charissa Hunt Maj. Aaron James Capt. Paul Jefferson Tech. Sgt. Antonio Jurado Lt. Col. Carol Kenny Staff Sgt. Eric Klajda Staff Sgt. Jacob Lee Staff Sgt. Michael Long Tech. Sgt. Michael Long Tech. Sgt. Andreas Lorenz Senior Airman Andrew Madison Staff Sgt. Melissa Madison Staff Sgt. Rodmar Manarang Master Sgt. Ernesto Marquez Master Sgt. Jonathan Martinez Staff Sgt. Jaime McCauley Tech. Sgt. James Mcchristian Tech. Sgt. Casandra Mcintyre Staff Sgt. Boradel Medrano Tech. Sgt. Virgil Mendivil Senior Master Sgt. Mark Milbourn Tech. Sgt. Livia Moreno Staff Sgt. Roy Murray Master Sgt. Vincent Muskiet Staff Sgt. Jessie Ochs Master Sgt. Alfredo Oroz Staff Sgt. Albert Otero Staff Sgt. Darrell Ozment Staff Sgt. Patricia Pacheco Staff Sgt. Randall Patterson Staff Sgt. Abraham Pena Master Sgt. Wade Quigley Master Sgt. Daniel Ramirez Master Sgt. Brian Reed Tech. Sgt. Daniel Rodriguez Master Sgt. Emiliano Rodriguez Senior Airman Jose Roman Tech. Sgt. Freddy Rosales Tech. Sgt. Jon Rostomily Tech. Sgt. Michael Royval Staff Sgt. Adam Schoonover Senior Airman Nicholas Schram Tech. Sgt. Mitchell Schreiber Staff Sgt. David Smith Airman 1st Class Elliot Smith Senior Airman Glen Sneddon Tech. Sgt. Thaddeus Sorensen Staff Sgt. Vanessa Soto Airman 1st Class Kendrick Spears Staff Sgt. Jacob Sulwer Capt. Benjamin Swope Senior Airman Heather Taylor Capt. Tisha Thompson Master Sgt. Jeffrey Thornsberry Tech. Sgt. Raul Verdugo Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Wallace Senior Master Sgt. Michael Weisbrod Senior Airman Dwight Wofford Maintenance Group Tech. Sgt. Victor Aquino Tech. Sgt. Jaime Aviles Senior Airman Linda Baldoni Airman 1st Class Antonio Bautista Staff Sgt. Giles Blumer Tech. Sgt. Michael Brizuela Staff Sgt. Donald Burnette Chief Master Sgt. Timothy Burris Maj. Andrew Chilcoat Master Sgt. Jeffrey Debuhr Staff Sgt. Erik Diaz Tech. Sgt. Sean Ehlert Tech. Sgt. Cody Eichinger Tech. Sgt. Trevor Ferguson Staff Sgt. Christopher Freker Master Sgt. Michael Grijalva Staff Sgt. Andrew Gutierrez Staff Sgt. David Hadjibabai Tech. Sgt. Steve Heimbach Staff Sgt. Allan Henson Staff Sgt. Richardo Maestas Staff Sgt. Paul Martin Tech. Sgt. Pablo Medina Staff Sgt. Gilbert Mendoza Staff Sgt. Jonathan Morphew Staff Sgt. Jeffery Morton Tech. Sgt. Reginaldo Munoz Staff Sgt. Christopher Nelson Staff Sgt. Sarah Peacock Staff Sgt. Jeremy Raymond Staff Sgt. Kristopher Roberts Master Sgt. Benjamin Ruiz Senior Airman Dennis Skraparis Staff Sgt. Joseph Stier Tech. Sgt. Timothy Story Tech. Sgt. Carl Sundin Tech. Sgt. Mike Tellez Tech. Sgt. James Vanwinkle Master Sgt. Duane Vermilyea Staff Sgt. Robert Vinson Staff Sgt. Michael Whitt Headquarters Tech. Sgt. Francisco Altamirano Lt. Col. Janet Altschuler Senior Airman David Cisneros Chief Master Sgt. Jacinta Figueroa Staff Sgt. Trevor Harvey Staff Sgt. Tiffany Hoeck Staff Sgt. Jordan Jones Tech. Sgt. Andrea Madore Master Sgt. Rose Mardula Lt. Col. Michael Martinez Staff Sgt. Stephen Myers Retired Master Sgt. Bert Otero Master Sgt. James Spencer Staff Sgt. Alicia Walker Staff Sgt. Keri Watson Medical Group Maj. Janet Campion Capt. Clara Durazo Lt. Col. Mark Emshwiller Lt. Col. John Hall Tech. Sgt. Sean Jack Col Eirc Kendle Master Sgt. Geraldine Kile Master Sgt. David Kohler-Edwards Capt. Gina Martin Tech. Sgt. Paul Sadorf Lt. Col. Donald Savage Lt. Col. Jolyon Schilling Senior Master Sgt. Jose Valverde Staff Sgt. Sergio Victor Staff Sgt. Alicia Walker Operations Group 2nd Lt Eric Baker Lt. Col. Robert Carpenter Staff Sgt. Ryan Crocker Tech. Sgt. Hector Echeverria Senior Airman Vanessa Ferreira Maj. Matthew Garrison Maj. Christopher Gries Lt. Col. David Halla Lt. Col. Daniel Hodges Lt. Col. Charles Huffman Capt. Kirk Huhta Staff Sgt. Jonathan Jackson Lt. Col. Will Johnson Capt. Lucas Jones Maj. Thomas Kelly Lt. Col. Mark Lindquist Maj. Patrick McClelland Capt. Amy O'Neill Maj. Marc Overson Senior Airman Tony Pena Lt. Col. Kenneth Rosson Senior Airman Sean Roth Capt. Sean Soder Lt. Col. Kenneth Souder Lt. Col. Stephen Widen Capt. Andrew Wittke 1st Lt Michael Yaeger