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Ninth AF Headquarters announces annual winners

  • Published
SHAW AFB, S.C. --  Airmen who went above and beyond in 2008 were recognized during the 9th Air Force Headquarters Outstanding Performers of the Year luncheon here Jan. 29. 

Thirty-six 9th AF headquarters individuals were recognized for their accomplishments throughout the year and seven were selected as the annual award winners in the categories of best airman, non-commissioned officer, senior noncommissioned officer, company grade officer, field grade officer and civilian category I and II. 

"All the nominees are great representatives of the high quality of work done here at the headquarters level and any of them could have been selected," said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Dearduff, 9th AF and U.S. AFCENT Command Chief. 

"I know they'll go on to represent us well at the higher level. I couldn't be more proud to be the command chief," he said. "I know that Lt. Gen. [Gary] North [9th AF and U.S. AFCENT Commander] is extremely proud to be their commander." 

The winners are: Airman - Senior Airman Alejandro Gomez, 28th Operational Weather Squadron; NCO - Tech. Sgt. Joshua Tidwell, U.S. AFCENT Logistics; SNCO - Senior Master Sgt. Charles Campbell, U.S. AFCENT Communications and Information; CGO - Capt. Christopher Willis, U.S. AFCENT Intelligence; FGO - Maj. Kimani Alston, U.S. AFCENT Logistics; Civilian Category I - Amy Hudson, U.S. AFCENT Safety; and Civilian Category II - Ledell Rivers, U.S. AFCENT Logistics. 

Maj. Gen. Frank Padilla, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of 9th AF and U.S. Air Forces Central, presided over the event and said the Airmen reminded him of a story. 

"It's the story of a farmer who is looking to hire a ranch hand, and so he goes into the nearby town," General Padilla said. "He finds a ranch hand named Toby and asks Toby why he should hire him and Toby replies, 'Because I can sleep on a windy night.' The farmer thought this was strange and started to walk away, but something made him turn back and hire Toby. 

"One night, the farmer heard a northern wind coming - the kind that blows through the valley, across the plain and wreaks havoc. He had visions of what it would do to his farm ... and anticipated the worst, so he went to wake Toby ... but as much as he yelled, Toby wouldn't wake up. So the farmer went out, and found the barn bolted, the chicken coops reinforced, the pigs safely huddled and the hay tarped. 

"The farmer now realized what Toby meant when he said he could sleep on a windy night. Everything was ready because Toby had been proactive in preparing for the storm. But it's more than being ready - it's seeing that something needs to be done and taking the initiative to do it without waiting to be told. Our Airmen, and further, our award winners, take this same initiative and General North and I know they represent the best of 9th Air Force headquarters." 

The seven Airmen will go on to compete against nominees from all 9th AF units other than those assigned to 9th AF headquarters. The winners will be announced during a banquet in March at Langley Air Force Base, Va.