D-M captain makes history

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  When Capt. Candice M. Sperry, a weapons officer at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., joined the Air Force in 2001, she didn't know where her career would take her, or that she'd make history.

Captain Sperry, a member of the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, was recently awarded the 2009 Air Force Robbie Risner Award, an honor recognizing the service's top weapons officer.

With her selection as the recipient of the Risner Award, Captain Sperry became the first female in the Air Force's 62-year history to earn the honor. An accomplishment, Col. Larry D. Worley Jr., 55th Electronic Combat Group commander, said is well-deserved.

"Captain Sperry was selected as the best of (more than) 170 weapons officers throughout the combat air force, mobility air forces and Air Force Special Operations Command," he said.

Captain Sperry is constantly working on training programs for the ECG's electronic warfare tactics, developing tactics improvement proposals and instructing both in the United States and at deployed locations, Colonel Worley said.

The award, created Sept. 24, 1976, is named after retired Brig. Gen. James R. Risner, one of only four Airmen to receive multiple awards of the Air Force Cross. Today, the annual award recognizes the Air Force's top weapons officer.

"It's such an honor to receive the Risner Award," Captain Sperry said, "because the award itself is based on the awardees' performance after graduating from the weapons instructor course, Nellis AFB, Nev."

The award looks at how each officer takes skills learned at WIC, and how they apply those skills to make the biggest impact on the combat air force, she continued.

According to Captain Sperry's officer performance report, during 2009 she commanded an 18-member weapons and tactics flight and regularly assessed the combat capability of the EC-130H Compass Call. In addition, she advised the squadron commander on a variety of issues, mentored her fellow electronic warfare officers and provided critical support to numerous missions for Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

In 2009, Captain Sperry also attended numerous conferences, participated in several training exercises and somehow found time to study for her master's degree.

All of this, Colonel Worley said, makes the captain an excellent role model for her peers.

"Captain Sperry has had a tremendous impact -- not just in the ECG, but throughout the joint electronic warfare community," he said. "She was deployed more than 10 months (from) 2008 to 2009 and she directly developed, coordinated and fielded EW and other operational plans with our Army, Marine and Naval comrades that led to battlefield success in both OIF and OEF.

"All of us in the Air Force should take pride (knowing) that we have led the way with first-class, elite leaders such as Captain Sperry in our service, (who) obliterate race, ethnic and gender barriers," Colonel Worley said.

Being a weapons officer is something Captain Sperry, a Springfield, Pa., native, said she really enjoys.

"I love it, I get to mold and define the future (not only) through instruction and defining tactics, techniques and procedures, but also in defining the direction of the aircraft," she said.

Even though Captain Sperry was named the Air Force's top weapons officer for 2009, she remains humble and said she wouldn't be where she is in her career without the support of the professionals she's met along the way.

"I would never have earned this award without the dedication and support of my instructors, commanders and my mother," she said. "With this honor comes a burden I'm eager to take on; to build, lead, teach and hopefully inspire others to do the same."