National Guard fetes its outstanding Airmen for 2009

The Air National Guard's Outstanding Airmen of the Year met with Mr. David L. McGinnis, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs June 8 at the Pentagon. From left, Staff Sgt. Terrence Mananes, Honor Guard Member of the Year; Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Onesto, Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year; Master Sgt. Tyrone Bingham, Senior NCO of the Year; McGinnis; Staff Sgt. Jonathan Sawmiller, Airman of the Year; Master Sgt. Lorene D. Kitzmiller, First Sergeant of the Year; Tech. Sgt. Robert Woods, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
(Photo by Lt. Col. Matt Leonard, OSD/RA)

By Master Sgt. Mike Smith
National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, D.C., (6/9/09) – The Air National Guard named its Outstanding Airmen of the Year (OAY) for 2009 and began a weeklong celebration of their accomplishments June 6 as the six arrived here.

Each year, the states and territories select and submit their top performers from the Air Guard’s 88 flying units and 579 mission support units.

The 2009 Outstanding Airmen of the Year are:

• Senior Noncommissioned Officer: Master Sgt. Tyrone Bingham, 170th Operational Support Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
• Noncommissioned Officer: Tech. Sgt. Robert Woods, 123rd Civil Engineering Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard Base, Louisville, Ky.
• Airman: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Sawmiller, 124th Civil Engineering Squadron, Boise, Idaho.
• First Sergeant: Master Sgt. Lorene D. Kitzmiller, 118th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Berry Field Air Guard Base, Nashville, Tenn.
• Honor Guard Program Manager: Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Onesto, 121st Services Flight, Rickenbacker Air Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.
• Honor Guard Member: Staff Sgt. Terrence Mananes, 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.

"They are the best of the best," said Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, director of the Air Guard said at their award ceremony Tuesday at the Air Guard Readiness Center on Andrews Air Force Base. "But I am sure they will tell you that they would not be here today were it not for [their families]."

On Sunday, the Airmen attended a Washington Nationals baseball game as an ice-breaker for the more than half-dozen formal and informal ceremonies that will be held in their honor this week.

"It was my first time at professional baseball game," said Sawmiller, who works as an emergency manager when not pursuing his law degree or organizing community support programs on or off base.

They will meet with the Guard's other top military leaders this week, including Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Muncy, command chief of the Air Guard among others.

"They are the cream-of-the-crop of the Air Guard's 93,000-plus enlisted Airmen," said Muncy during a reception Monday night at National Harbor, located on the banks of the Potomac River.

The Airmen toured the Pentagon, the Capitol and Senate buildings on Monday, and they will see many other D.C. sites this week. Their visit will culminate with a formal banquet Thursday afternoon at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.

All six outstanding Airmen have participated in multiple overseas deployments. Bingham worked numerous missions with active duty, Reserve and Guard forces as an aviation resource manager at his Total Force wing, in Afghanistan and then in Qatar. Woods' skill in explosives disposal earned him a place as an NCO-in-charge of those operations in Kuwait and then as a team member in Afghanistan. Sawmiller sought out dangerous radioactive ordnance and munitions caches in Iraq and then served as a logistics manager in Qatar.

Muncy said their combined work overseas in explosives disposal, aeromedical evacuation, emergency management and other specialties potentially saved many lives. "They all also stand out in their self-improvement as Airmen and for their off-duty work in their communities," he said.

First sergeants support servicemembers, and Kitzmiller regularly extended those duties outside her aeromedical squadron and into her Nashville community, said officials. She volunteered with military kids support programs and helped homeless veterans find shelter and employment.

"My father was in Vietnam, so veterans hold a special place for me," she said, adding, "I would not feel fulfilled if I was not doing something to help others."

The Air Guard’s outstanding honor guard member, Mananes, and honor guard program manager, Onesto, both “contributed immensely” in official ceremonies and in funerals for veterans and fallen service members, said officials.

Onesto extended his excellence into esprit de corps and community service events, while Mananes is noted for his second-to-none uniform standards and mentorship of his fellow Airmen.

"Were going to take this all in and enjoy it," said Onesto about his visit here with his wife. He said he has supported honor guard programs since the late '80s during his active duty service at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., and continued that support during his many years with the Ohio Air Guard.

“All nominees can be extremely proud of being selected to represent the states and of their service and contributions to the Air National Guard and the communities in which they serve,” said Wyatt in his announcement letter to the states.

The six Outstanding Airmen will return to their duty stations with a trove of coins, plaques, prizes and well wishes. Throughout the next year, they will participate in Air Guard and Air Force events as goodwill ambassadors.

They will now compete with their Air Force active duty and Reserve counterparts for the Air Forces’ top 12 Outstanding Airmen recognition.