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AFA honors Air National Guard members

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. John E. Hillier
  • Air National Guard Public Affairs

The Air Force Association's D.W. Steele Sr. Memorial Chapter hosted the 15th Annual AFA Salute to the Air National Guard, recognizing personnel assigned to the National Guard Bureau during an April 19 ceremony in Crystal City, Virginia.

“This is our opportunity to honor you for what you do for your country, for your state,” said chapter president Michelle Ryan. “What you do for people who don’t even know who you are. It’s our opportunity to put a face to that and recognize what you’ve done for us.”

 

This year, the AFA honored 12 members of the ANG staff across a broad range of specialties for their dedication and outstanding contributions of the success of the ANG and the overall Air Force mission.

The members honored were:

 

·         Maj. David Sumwalt, safety, Flight Safety Manager

·         Master Sgt. Antoinette Jones, logistics, Clothing Policy and Procedures Manager

·         Master Sgt. Brigid O’Brien, human resources, Human Resource Manager

·         Lt. Col. Jeremy White, strategic plans and programs, Mobility Air Forces Branch Chief

·         Devon L. Blackwell, financial management, Lead Financial Services Specialist

·         Gloria Fernandez, command staff, Command Support Staff Executive

·         Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Hall, office of the Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sergeant, Senior Enlisted Management Office

·         Brianne Law, command staff, Workflow Analyst and Trainer

·         Chief Master Sgt. Lori Flinn, manpower, personnel and services, Education and Training Career Field Manager

·         Lt. Col. David Wright, operations, Combat Air Forces Branch Chief

·         Lt. Col. Gilbert Thomas Harvey, office of the Air Surgeon, Chief of Drug Demand Reduction Program

·         Master Sgt. Joseph Cooper, plans and requirements, Action Officer

 

 

“The Guardsmen you see here are those Guardsmen who are doing this mission 24/7,” said James J. Brooks, Executive Director of the Air National Guard. “They’re providing to our 90 wings the resources and personnel they need to do the missions the Air Force can’t do without us. These Guardsmen also cannot do what they do every day without their families. So as we recognize these Airmen, we also recognize the support network behind every one of them who make it all possible.”

The AFA is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association that promotes a dominant Air Force and a strong national defense, and honors Airmen and our Air Force heritage.