AWA & AFW ANNUAL AWARDS for 2007

    The Air Weather Association (AWA) also provides special recognition to the AFW individual winners. These are honored with the AWA John and Barbara Collens Award for leadership. 

     Major General (Ret) John Collens III, the 15th Commander of the Air Weather Service, formally founded the AWA in 1987.  He and his wife Barbara led the association to many successes including supporting fund raising efforts for individual and group causes (caring for our own), organizing AWA reunions every two years and growing the membership.  They accomplished this all in the spirit of “Serving the Present – Remembering the Past – Air Force Weather”.  General Collens retired from the AWA Board of Directors at the end of 1994.  To remember and honor the great unselfish work of both he and his wife, the annual AWA Awards to Outstanding Air Force Weather personnel were named the AWA John and Barbara Collens Awards.

      The AFW Awards were expanded in 2006 to cover battlefield, staff and operational weather categories.  This increased the AWA awards from five to 15.  For 2007, the awards cover the same categories as 2006 and bring back the Named awards as you will notice below.     

      The Air Weather Association Board will send out congratulatory letters, cash awards and free lifetime AWA memberships to the 15 AWA John and Barbara Collens Award winners.  The AWA Board of Directors on behalf of the near 5,000 AWA members congratulates all 2007 Air Force Weather Award winners for outstanding service – well above and beyond the call.

From HQ U.S. Air Force/A3O-W                                                              April 16, 2008

1.   IT IS WITH GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE THAT I ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF THE CY 2007 AIR FORCE WEATHER AWARDS. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF ALL OUR PROFESSIONAL AIR FORCE WARRIORS AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL. THE SUPERIOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR WEATHER PERSONNEL HAVE ONCE AGAIN LED THE WAY BOTH ON THE HOMEFRONT AND ON THE BATTLEFIELD. COELUM AD PROELIUM ELIGE.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:

(1) AIR FORCE WEATHER FIELD GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Barney Award: MAJ. TRICIA H. KOBBERDAHL, 10 ASOS/OSW, FT RILEY AIN, KS (ACC)

(2) AIR FORCE WEATHER COMPANY GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Grisham Award: CAPT. PAUL D. LUCAS, 25 OWS, DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, AZ (AFWA)

(3) AIR FORCE WEATHER CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR – 2007 Jenner Award: MR. TODD M. MCNAMARA, 45 WS, PATRICK AFB, FL (AFSPC)

(4) AIR FORCE WEATHER SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Gardner Award: MSGT SAMUEL T. SIMMONS, 509 OSS/OSW, WHITEMAN AFB, MO (ACC)

(5) AIR FORCE WEATHER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Pierce Award: TSGT BRADFORD N. GODWIN, 78 OSS/OSW, ROBINS AFB, GA (AFMC)

(6) AIR FORCE WEATHER AIRMAN OF THE YEAR OF THE YEAR – 2007 Dodson Award: SRA LEON KEOCHANTHANIVONG, 15 OWS, SCOTT AFB, IL (AFWA)

(7) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER COMPANY GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Grimes Award: CAPT. JEFFREY ALAN GODDARD, JR., 3 WS, FORT HOOD AIN, TX (ACC)

(8) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Grimes Award: MSGT JASON P. COLON, 18 WS, POPE AFB, NC (ACC)

(9) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Grimes Award: TSGT LISA M. SMITH, 25 ASOS, WHEELER AAF, HI (PACAF)

(10) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER AIRMAN OF THE YEAR – 2007 Grimes Award: SRA KENNETH S. MALAWEY, 10 CWS, HURLBURT FIELD, FL (AFSOC)

(11) AIR FORCE WEATHER STAFF OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Best Award: MAJ. JUAN M. HIDALGO, AFWA, OFFUTT AFB, NE (AFWA)

(12) AIR FORCE WEATHER STAFF ENLISTED MEMBER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Best Award: MSGT BRADY L. ARMISTEAD, HQ AFSOC/A3W, HURLBURT FIELD, FL (AFSOC)

(13) AIR FORCE WEATHER STAFF CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR – 2007 Best Award: MR. JOHN S. GALLIANO, HQ PACAF/A3AW, HICKAM AFB, HI (PACAF)

(14) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER OFFICER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Spengler Award: 1LT JULIA M. COPPOLA, HQ ACC/AOS/OSW, LANGLEY AFB, VA (ACC)

(15) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER ENLISTED MEMBER OF THE YEAR – 2007 Spengler Award: TSGT MARK R. GILLEY, 105 WF, NASHVILLE IAP, TN (ACC)

GROUP AWARDS:

(16) OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT IN WEATHER OPERATIONS – 2007 Merewether-Zimmerman Award: 1 WG/TTP HPT, CAPT PAUL F. LUCAS, 25 OWS; CAPT WILLIAM RYERSON, 25 OWS; SMSGT JOSEPH FEDERICO, 26 OWS; MSGT ANTHONY SOOTS, 15 OWS; MSGT ALLAN BRANDT, 25 OWS; TSGT JEFFREY WISNER, 15 OWS; MR. SHANE CASTLE (SAIC), 25 OWS; MR. DANIEL BREES (SAIC), 25 OWS; MR. PETER COPESKY (SAIC), 25 OWS; MR. RICHARD KORICH (SAIC), 15 OWS, 1WG, OFFUTT AFB, NE (AFWA)

(17) OUTSTANDING OPERATIONAL WEATHER SQUADRON – 2007 Fawbush-Miller Award: 28 OWS, SHAW AFB, SC (ACC)

(18) OUTSTANDING BATTLEFIELD WEATHER SQUADRON – 2007 Grimes Award: 3 WS, FORT HOOD, TX, (ACC)

(19) OUTSTANDING SPECIALIZED WEATHER SUPPORT UNIT – 2007 Moorman Award: 51st Combat Communications Squadron, ROBINS AFB, GA (ACC)

(20) OUTSTANDING AIR FORCE WEATHER ORGANIZATION (BELOW SQUADRON LEVEL)- 2007 Williams Award: 25 ASOS/DOW, WHEELER AAF, HI (PACAF)

(21) OUTSTANDING AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER FLIGHT – 2007 Collens Award: 116 WF, MCCHORD AFB, WA (ANG)

2. SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL NOMINEES AND TO THE WINNERS. THE EFFORTS OF ALL CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE AIR FORCE MISSION DURING CY 2007.

DR. FRED P. LEWIS, SES

HQ US AIR FORCE DIRECTOR OF WEATHER