Desert Lightning Team annual award winners recognized Published Feb. 11, 2011 By Master Sgt. Lindsey Miranda 25th Operational Weather Squadron DAVIS MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Eight Airmen and civilians received recognition during the Desert Lightning Team annual awards ceremony Feb. 5 held at the Mirage Club here. The ceremony, themed 'America's Heroes,' honored the best of the best Davis-Monthan Airmen and civilians for 2010. The 2010 annual award winners from the Desert Lightning Team are: Airman of the Year Senior Airman Michael Howell, 355th Civil Engineer Squadron Airman Howell spearheaded 98 hours of upgrade training to four members, administered life-saving CPR to an unresponsive patient, inspected $378,000 of personal protective equipment ensuring 100-percent National Fire Protection Association compliance and rapidly extinguished a base housing fire, saving a $180,000 residential facility. He earned his Community College of the Air Force Degree in Fire Science, completed nine hours towards his bachelor's degree and led the Firefighter Combat Challenge earning two first place and three personal team awards. Airman Howell also volunteered 16 hours towards Airman Against Drunk Driving, spoke at the senior noncommissioned officer induction ceremony and packaged 140 pounds of life-saving supplies for earthquake victims. Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Staff Sgt. Bradley Baker, 355th Civil Engineer Squadron Sergeant Baker served as the wing liaison during a three-day National Disaster Medical System exercise, coordinating with four federal, three county and seventeen city agencies, authored two weapons of mass destruction checklists and led Davis-Monthan's crash map update. He earned 18 credit hours and was awarded his Community College of the Air Force Degree in Emergency Management, completed 40-hour FBI training on crime scene management and a 16-hour Weapons of Mass Destruction medical course. Sergeant Baker also dedicated 52 hours at a child abuse crisis center, volunteered 15 hours at the Airman's Attic and led the squadron Combined Federal Campaign that raised $16,000. Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Senior Master Sgt. Paul Pohnert, 612nd ACOMS Sergeant Pohnert installed the first ever Combined Air Operations Center full-motion video feed enabling 24-hour intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in a 15.6 million square-mile range to the Combined Forces Component Commander, directed build of $1.2 million training lab integrating three Air Force Speciality Codes, re-engineered $1.1 million CAOC backup facility and managed Davis-Monthan's largest communications security account. He earned 12 semester hours towards his degree in Human Resource Management, completed a 4- hour Cyber Operations course and instructed three Professional Military Education classes. Sergeant Pohnert also served as the 12th Air Force Top 3 President, chaired the 12th Air Force OPY Medallion Ceremony and the Desert Lightning Team SNCO Induction Ceremony, emceed the 355th Fighter Wing NCO Induction Ceremony and volunteered 18 hours at the Tucson Food Bank. First Sergeant of the Year Master Sgt. Trevor James, 612nd Air Operations Center Sergeant James headed the Desert Lightning Team First Sergeants' Council as president, led the "Family Care Plan" Staff Assistant Visit team after he prepped 26 wing first sergeants for the unit compliance inspection and had zero findings. He proctored 10 out-of-cycle promotion tests, mentored 115 first-term Airman in three First Term Airman Center classes, taught the first sergeant role to 109 master sergeants at the SNCO Induction Seminar, ran the D-M Half Marathon, completed PRESS Suicide Prevention Framework course and completed his Human Resources Community College of the Air Force degree with a 4.0 GPA. Sergeant James also emceed for the base NCO Induction Ceremony, organized the base senior master sergeant promotion party, volunteered eight hours with Habitat for Humanity and six hours with the Airman's Attic. He arranged an air show fundraiser that raised $15,000 for the Top III while serving as the Top III President. Company Grade Officer of the Year Capt. Stephen Martin, 355th Medical Support Squadron Captain Martin revised the Home Station Medical Response team, inventoried $900,000 of medical supplies and equipment, led three Medical Group operational readiness exercises processing 36 unit tasking codes, orchestrated the air show medical contingency exercise and all of the air show medical coverage and was the wing point of contact for the Angel Thunder exercise. He completed 37 credit hours for his master's degree, attended the Hospital Administrators Congress, mastered six DoD Joint Medical Executive Skills Institute courses and attended 16 satellite leadership conferences. Captain Martin also coached 29 children in academics, volunteered 70 hours raising $6,000 for a local school and led a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation team of 55 in a state-wide fundraiser, earning $20,000 for diabetes research. Field Grade Officer of the Year Maj. Thomas Bozung, 55th Rescue Group Major Bozung led the Marjeh assault flight which was the largest multi-national helicopter mission since Vietnam, flew 144 sorties for more than 104 hours in Afghanistan, assisted in 86 combat rescue missions and saved more than 100 lives. He managed 40 Airmen at two forward operating locations, initiated bare base deployment training, identified eight tasks for restructuring to meet ACC compliance, and headed the Unit Compliance Inspection preparation. He completed Air Command and Staff College Course while simultaneously performing director of operations duties and conducted multiple professional leadership classes. Maj. Bozung served as the aircraft commander for the squadron's 'Santas in Blue' flight, delivered Santa with gifts for children at local reservation, raised $4,000 for the annual holiday party as the booster club president and volunteered more than 20 hours in a local trauma center while deployed. Junior Civilian of the Year Mrs. Joleen R. Dedmon, 355th Contracting Squadron Mrs. Dedmon expertly processed Form 9s totaling $62 million, directed a $21,000 information technology upgrade contract and managed the squadron's performance report program - rated the best program in the 355th Mission Support Group. She acquired a $10,000 security surveillance system that safeguarded 700 government purchase card accounts, earned 39 credit hours towards her Business Management degree and trained the entire squadron on Anti-terrorism and Force Protection procedures during a local readiness exercise. Mrs Dedmon also performed the National Anthem for two Change of Command ceremonies, and 15 promotion ceremonies. She also orchestrated the Annual Jewett Award Luncheon. Intermediate Civilian of the Year Mr. David Rauer, 355th Civil Engineer Squadron Mr. Rauer earned the title of Air Combat Command's Civil Engineer Civilian of the Year for 2010, restored power to Headquarters 12th Air Force averting loss of communication for Haiti operations, replaced a mission-essential radiator resulting in zero sortie disruptions and procured Davis-Monthan's first solar lighting kit, saving the Air Force $24,000 annually. He completed equipment custodian training and oversaw accountability of $1.7 million in assigned assets, earned his CPR instructor certification used to train 372 squadron members and completed a 16-hour electrical safety course. Mr. Rauer also supported the United Way, landscaped and painted at a local school, set-up and operated base holiday tree lighting, coached youth basketball at two local schools and led concession team at a University of Arizona golf tournament fundraiser, raising $7,000. Senior Civilian of the Year Mr. Michael Connelly, Air Force Office of Special Investigations 2nd Field Investigation Region, Operating Location-Bravo (Special Investigations Air Forces Southern/12th Air Force) Mr. Connelly directly supported the execution of more than 1,200 counter-drug missions in the United States Southern Command area of responsibility that led to the seizure of more than 300 metric tons of narcotics valued at $5 billion and managed all of AFOSI's counterintelligence operations in support of earthquakes in Chile and Haiti. He facilitated the creation of 171 intelligence products protecting 22,000 Department of Defense members and allowed the U.S. to deliver more than 36 million pounds of supplies to the people of Haiti. While deployed to Colombia, he supervised a 12-man team in charge of the security of 20 general officers, and led to the discovery and elimination of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device located at a hotel's parking lot. Mr. Connelly also taught more than 45 hours of basic outdoor survival skills to a local Boy Scout troop. Congratulations to all of the Desert Lightning Team 2010 annual award winners!