LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The 19th Maintenance Group held their annual Maintenance Professionals of the Year banquet at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, March 6, 2020.
The banquet included food, games and nearly 30 awards given to celebrate and recognize the achievements of top performers from the maintenance career field who ensure our aircraft are mission-ready to project and sustain agile combat airlift.
This year a new feature was added to the ceremonies: a variety of maintenance-themed games to forge connectedness and strengthen unit vitality. The teams were a mix of junior Airmen, NCO, Senior NCO and officers of varying ages and job specialties competing for the best time, bragging rights and a trophy.
“The MPOY concentrates specifically on maintenance Airmen,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Duane Harris, 19th MXS production superintendent. “This will be the first time we’re doing maintenance games. We’re trying to make it a tradition and move into an atmosphere where we not only celebrate peers and leaders, but come together in a competitive, friendly way.”
The group had a number of accomplishments throughout the 2019 calendar year, having flown 13,034 sorties, enabling 19,990 flight hours, and performing 123,787 maintenance jobs.
Maintenance Airmen also supported missions in the Horn of Africa as well as Operations Freedom Sentinel and New Normal.
“Thank you for having done awesome work not only executing the mission, but taking care of each other,” said U.S. Air Force Col. James Hood, 19th MXG commander. “As we go through the next year we’ll continue to do all those things — expanding out our mission sets, doing what our nation asks of us, and developing and growing Airmen personally and professionally.”
19th Maintenance Group 2019 Maintenance Professionals of the Year:
Outstanding Airmen of the Year: Senior Airman Erica Golliday, 19th MXG
NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Brandon Wood, 19th MXG
First Sgt. of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Esther Keeney, 19th MXG
Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Joseph Kraynak 19th MXG
Civilian of the Year: Mr. Willie Guzman, 19th MXS
Outstanding Key Spouse of the Year: Mrs. Barbara Johnson, 19th MXG
Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award Junior Enlisted Category: Tech. Sgt. Mason Creager, 19th MXG
Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award Junior Officer Category: Capt. Shalin Gieson, 19th MXG
Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award Senior Officer Category: Maj. Dale Winters, 19th MXG
Gen. Lew Allen Jr Enlisted Award Winner Master Sgt. Kelly Azreal, 19th AMXS
Gen. Lew Allen Jr Company Grade Officer Award Winner Capt. Michael Comiskey, 19th MXG
Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Technician of the Year: Senior Airman Erica Golliday, 19th AMXS
Aircraft Maintenance Technician-Supervisor of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Stephen Mcfate, 19th AMXS
Maintenance Supervisor of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Sedquwick Bell, 19th MXS
Company Grade Officer Manager of the Year: Capt. Joseph Kraynak, 19th MXS
Muns Technician of the Year: Senior Airman Alias Arzuaga, 19th MXS
Muns Technician Supervisor of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Eric Kingma, 19th MXS
Support Professional Airman of the Year: Senior Airman James Marshall, 19th MXS
Support Professional NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Samuel Aguilar, 19th AMXS
Support Professional SNCO of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Glenn Burnett, 19th MXS
Support Professional Civilian of the Year: Mr. Michael Cross, 19th MXS
Professional Civilian of the Year: Mr. Dale Newman, 19th MXS
Professional Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Griffen Boll, 19th AMXS
Professional NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Brett Clayton, 19th MXO
Professional SNCO of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Steven Willis, 19th MXS
Professional Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Jon Comer, 19th MXO
Crew Chief of the Year: Staff Sgt. Andrew Sopko, 19th AMXS