An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Guard’s top Airman earns better than the best

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
  • National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va. --  His recognition as a top Citizen-Airman recently went from best to better.

Shortly after celebrating his accomplishment as the Air National Guard Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Master Sgt. Tyrone Bingham at the 170th Operational Support Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., learned of his selection as an outstanding Airman in the U.S. Air Force.

Bingham is among the dozen Air Force active duty and reserve servicemembers who were selected as the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2009. The results were announced July 2.

"I realized that it's a huge accomplishment for anybody," said Bingham about his rising recognition. "I'm trying to get my arms around the whole thing."

Bingham said both honors can be "a little overwhelming at times," and that he's received "countless congrats" from those in the active duty and Guard components.

Selection as the Guard's top NCO is a lifetime accomplishment in itself, he said. But Bingham's further selection among the Air Force's more than 400,000 Airmen is not so surprising when considering his military and personal performance.

In many respects Bingham is exactly the sort of Airman the Air Force should highlight. He is a quiet, friendly and professional NCO. He broadened his horizon through college education, earning a bachelor's degree and currently pursuing a master's. He works in a squadron that blends active duty, Reserve and Guard into one unit, which is a concept that officials call the future total Air Force. In his volunteer role, he supports the Big Brothers organization and helps coordinate bone marrow drives. All of this makes Bingham a role model for up-and-coming Airmen.

Officials say Bingham distinguished himself through his close work with active duty servicemembers as part of the 55th Wing's Host Aviation Resource Management Office.

There, Bingham manages and supervises six active duty Airmen and two Air Guard members. His team maintains more than 1,700 flight records for the aircrews flying the RC-135 Rivet Joint Reconnaissance aircraft. He also deployed for joint missions in Afghanistan and Qatar to manage a multitude of information aircrews used to maintain flying operations.

"We work with all of them," he said about his total force missions, "to include the strategic command, which consists of all the different branches of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines."

After serving four years on active duty, including operations at Langley Air Force Base and Scott AFB, Bingham's budding Guard career began with the Missouri Air Guard as an operations manager and as a host aviation resource manager. He moved to Nebraska in 2005.

Bingham said he grew up in Hopkinsville, Ky., and earned his bachelor's degree in Michigan before joining the Air Force in 1996.

Today, he is pursuing his master's degree in Business Administration while continuing his fulltime work in the Air Guard.

On a daily basis, Bingham said he wears the hat of an active duty and a Guard supervisor. He may write an evaluation of an active duty Airmen and later fall into formation for a traditional Guard event. It's the working concept of total force missions at his unit that was streamlined before his arrival, he said.

"I defiantly think it works," he said. "It takes a lot of work and being open minded on both the active duty and the Guard side. It's really based on personalities and attitudes."

Now representing an outstanding Airman who is working a total force mission, Bingham says the benefits of total force include future missions for the National Guard and the expertise and experience of Guard Airmen for the active duty.

He said he wants to put his recognition to good use in the next year, but he has not narrowed down a specific goal - just yet.

Next year, Bingham will serve on the Air Force Association Enlisted Advisory Council. The council makes recommendations on quality of life and quality of service issues. Additionally, he will participate in Air Guard and Air Force events as a goodwill ambassador.