2010 General Lew Allen Jr.trophy
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presents the 2010 General Lew Allen Jr. Award to Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Smith during a ceremony Jan. 4, 2011, in the Pentagon. The award is presented annually to an officer and to an NCO working in aircraft, munitions or missile maintenance and directly involved in aircraft sortie generation. The award's namesake served as the Air Force Chief of Staff from 1978 to 1982. Sergeant Smith was honored for his work as the 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Viper Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Varhegyi)
Maintainers earn awards for sortie generation



by Tech. Sgt. Jess Harvey
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

1/4/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Two Airmen were honored for excellence in aircraft sortie generation during an award ceremony at the Pentagon Jan. 4.

Maj. Scott Hall, an F-16 Fighting Falcon and E-8C Joint Stars requirements action officer for the National Guard Bureau here, and Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Smith, the 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Viper Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., were presented with General Lew Allen Jr. Awards by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz.

The awards are given annually to honor a base-level officer and a senior NCO working in aircraft, munitions or missile maintenance and directly involved in aircraft sortie generation.

"This is about fixing machines and maintaining platforms, and doing it better than anyone else in our Air Force," General Schwartz said. "Here we have two individuals who have excelled at performing and leading others to produce combat capability."

Major Hall, who was recognized for his work as the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer at Shaw AFB, S.C., prior to his current assignment, attributed his success to the quality of people with whom he has worked.

"Everything we accomplished was because of the leadership, guidance and wisdom of our commanders, the courage of the pilots who fought in combat, and the dedication and professionalism of the maintainers," Major Hall said.

The major, who also thanked his family, was recognized for his leadership of Airmen during three deployments in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among the accomplishments in his award citation was Major Hall's work in leading the first F-16 satellite communications modification for Operation Enduring Freedom, resulting in a 50-percent increase in precision strikes.

Upon receiving his award, Sergeant Smith said he had many people to thank for helping him earn such an honor.

"Nobody ever gets here without being allotted several opportunities to fail along the way," Sergeant Smith said.

He added that he always had someone there to pick him up, dust him off and tell him, "Get 'em next time, Smitty. It'll be better."

Sergeant Smith's award citation noted several accomplishments, including leading his team to maintain a 99-percent weapons effectiveness rate during more than 1,900 live-drop sorties and reducing the aircraft cannibalization rate by 10 percent while maintaining an 86-percent mission capable rate.