AWA & AFW ANNUAL AWARDS for CY2008 

     Each spring, the U.S. Air Force Director of Weather announces the winners of the Air Force Weather (AFW) Annual Awards for the previous year.  That announcement of the Calendar Year 2008 AFW Awards is in the message below from Dr. Lewis.      

    The Air Weather Association (AWA) also provides special recognition to the AFW Individual Award 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 established 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 and annual awards programs), 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 Individual Award winners were named the AWA John and Barbara Collens Awards.

      The AFW Awards were expanded in 2006 to cover battlefield, staff and operational weather categories.  The awards were also expanded in this latest list to include more Air Reserve Component categories as the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard are increasingly involved in day-to-day operations.  The Air Weather Association Chairman has sent out congratulatory letters, cash awards and free lifetime AWA memberships to the 18 AWA John and Barbara Collens Award winners.  The AWA Board of Directors on behalf of the near 5,000 AWA members congratulates all 2008 Air Force Weather Award individual and group winners for outstanding service – well above and beyond the call.

 FROM HQ U.S. AIR FORCE/A3O-W                                                              

 1. IT IS WITH GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE THAT I ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF THE CY 2008 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.

 A. INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:

 (1) AIR FORCE WEATHER FIELD GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: MAJ BRIAN W. KABAT, DET 4, 18 WS, FT CAMPBELL AIN, KY (ACC)

 (2) AIR FORCE WEATHER COMPANY GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: CAPT WILLIAM R. RYERSON, 25 OWS, DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, AZ (AFWA)

 (3) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER COMPANY GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: CAPT CHRISTOPHER T. HIGGINS, 12 OWF, SCOTT AFB, IL (AFRC)

 (4) AIR FORCE WEATHER CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR 2008: MR RICHARD D. ZENTZ, 14 OSS/OSW, COLOMBUS AFB, MS (AETC)

 (5) AIR FORCE WEATHER SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: SMSGT WESLEY G. FILLMORE, 21 OWS, SEMBACH AB, GE (USAFE)

 (6) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: SMSGT PAUL F. MONTAS, HQ ACC/A3W, LANGLEY AFB, VA (AFRC)

 (7) AIR FORCE WEATHER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: TSGT JAMES P. BAUMAN, 2 WS, OFFUTT AFB, NE (AFWA)

 (8) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: TSGT THOMAS J. MAHAN, WEATHER READINESS TRAINING CENTER, CAMP BLANDING, FL (AFRC)

 (9) AIR FORCE WEATHER AIRMAN OF THE YEAR 2008: SRA BRADLEY T. MARTIN, 28 OWS, SHAW AFB, SC (ACC)

 (10) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER COMPANY GRADE OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: CAPT JONATHAN D. SAWTELLE, DET 5, 10 CWS, FORT BRAGG AIN, NC (AFSOC)

 (11) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: MSGT SHANE R. WAGNER, AVIATION TACTICS EVALUATION GP, FORT BRAGG, NC (USSOCOM)

 (12) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT BATTLEFIELD WEATHER SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: MSGT DAVID J. WARD, 208 WF, ST PAUL, MN (AFRC)

 (13) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: SSGT DANIEL J. MIKE, DET 5, 7 WS, ILLESHEIM AIN, GE (USAFE)

 (14) AIR RESERVE COMPONENT BATTLEFIELD WEATHER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: TSGT CHRISTOPHER DRYE, 209 WF, CAMP MABRY, TX (AFRC)

 (15) AIR FORCE BATTLEFIELD WEATHER AIRMAN OF THE YEAR 2008: SRA JOSHUA S. LEGGITT, DET 2, 607 WS, CAMP HUMPHREYS AIN, KOREA (PACAF)

 (16) AIR FORCE WEATHER STAFF OFFICER OF THE YEAR 2008: MAJ ROBERT A. STENGER, 2 WXG, OFFUTT AFB, NE (AFWA)

 (17) AIR FORCE WEATHER STAFF ENLISTED MEMBER OF THE YEAR 2008: SMSGT STEPHEN W. DOMBEK, HQ PACAF/A3OA, HICKAM AFB, HI (PACAF)

 (18) AIR FORCE WEATHER STAFF CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR 2008: MR RONALD S. KOMMER, HQ ACC/A3W, LANGLEY AFB, VA (ACC)

B. GROUP AWARDS:

 (1) OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT IN WEATHER OPERATIONS: DET 4, 18 WS, CAPT DAVID J. KING, MSGT KURT R. ROHL, SSGT RYAN ADKINSON, SSGT JENNIFER WILLIAMSON, FORT CAMPBELL, KY (ACC)

 (2) OUTSTANDING OPERATIONAL WEATHER SQUADRON: 21 OWS, SEMBACH AB, GE (USAFE)

 (3) OUTSTANDING BATTLEFIELD WEATHER SQUADRON: 18 WS, POPE AFB, NC, (ACC)

 (4) OUTSTANDING SPECIALIZED WEATHER SUPPORT UNIT: 45 WS, PATRICK AFB, FL (AFSPC)

 (5) OUTSTANDING AIR FORCE WEATHER ORGANIZATION (BELOW SQUADRON LEVEL): 100 OSS/OSW, MILDENHALL, UK (USAFE)

 (6) OUTSTANDING AIR RESERVE COMPONENT WEATHER FLIGHT: 5 OWF/28 OWS, SHAW AFB, SC (AFRC)

 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 2008.

 DR. FRED LEWIS, SES, USAF
DIRECTOR OF WEATHER (AF/A3O-W)