The U.S. Air Force announced the recipients of the 2017 Air Force Fighter Annual Awards in May 2018 at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.. Of the five recipients, Maj. “Mongo” Dietrich, 149th Fighter Squadron chief of weapons, was named the Air Force’s Fighter Instructor Pilot of the Year. Dietrich is the first F-22 Raptor pilot to receive this award. He is an instructor pilot in the 149th FS based out of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The squadron consists of about 50 members with about half being pilots.