Air Weather Association Awards

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 2016 AFW Awards is in the message below.

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 Air Force Weather Award individual and group winners for outstanding service – well above and beyond the call.

Subject: 2016 Air Force Weather Annual Award Winners

It is my pleasure to announce the winners of the 2016 Air Force Weather Awards. The exemplary efforts of these individuals in Air Force weather operations greatly contributed to the Air Force mission and our Nation's defense.

AIR FORCE WEATHER AIRMAN OF THE YEAR
SrA Nichol Jimenez, 86th Operations Support Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany (USAFE)

AIR FORCE WEATHER NCO OF THE YEAR
TSgt James Klusener, 22nd Operations Support Squadron, McConnell AFB, KS (AMC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER SNCO OF THE YEAR
SMSgt Fred King, 335th Training Squadron, Keesler AFB, MS (AETC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER CGO OF THE YEAR
Capt Casey Zoellick, 90th Operations Support Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, WY (AFGSC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER FGO OF THE YEAR
Maj Sean Wile, HQ ACC/A3W, Joint Base Langely-Eustis, VA (ACC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER CIVILIAN (CATEGORY I) OF THE YEAR Mr. Timothy Villaran, 25th Operational Weather Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (ACC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER CIVILIAN (CATEGORY II) OF THE YEAR Ms. Katherine Winters, 45th Weather Squadron, Patrick AFB, FL (AFSPC)

AIR FORCE AIRMAN OF THE YEAR FOR ARMY WEATHER SUPPORT SrA Wesley Kosel, 3rd Weather Squadron, Fort Carson, CO (ACC)

AIR FORCE NCO OF THE YEAR FOR ARMY WEATHER SUPPORT TSgt Xasandra Cisneros, J2WX/AVTEG/JSOC, Fort Bragg, NC (SOCOM)

AIR FORCE SNCO OF THE YEAR FOR ARMY WEATHER SUPPORT MSgt Christopher Lozzi, 23rd Special Operations Weather Squadron, Fort Campbell, KY (AFSOC)

AIR FORCE CGO OF THE YEAR FOR ARMY WEATHER SUPPORT Capt Stephen Garbarino, Air Force Operations Group, Pentagon, Washington DC (HAF)

AIR FORCE FGO OF THE YEAR FOR ARMY WEATHER SUPPORT Maj Charles Dorssom, 3rd Weather Squadron, Fort Riley, KS (ACC)

SPECIAL OPERATIONS WEATHER TEAM AIRMAN OF THE YEAR SrA Sean Fearing, 17th Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Benning, GA (AFSOC)

SPECIAL OPERATIONS WEATHER TEAM NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR TSgt Stephen Petche, 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (AFSOC)

SPECIAL OPERATIONS WEATHER TEAM SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR SMSgt Aaron Smith, HQ AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, FL (AFSOC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER ORGANIZATION (BELOW SQUADRON) TEAM OF THE YEAR 22nd Operations Support Squadron, Weather Flight, McConnell AFB, KS (AMC)

AIR FORCE WEATHER SQUADRON OF THE YEAR
1st Weather Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (PACAF)

This message provides the above named individuals with the authority to wear the recognition ribbon IAW AFI 36-2805 and AFI 36-2807. Military recipients of individual awards are entitled to wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon, and civilian recipients of individual awards are entitled to wear the Air Force recognition Lapel Pin. Military personnel flights should use this message as reference to update the personnel data system and member's military records. Unit commanders will provide each individual award winner a copy of this message.

Again, congratulations to all of this year's nominees and winners for an outstanding job! Please forward any questions and/or comments to AF/A3WP at usaf.pentagon.af-a3.mbx.a3wp-weather-policy-workflow@mail.mil.

VR/

SCOTT A. VANDER HAMM, Maj Gen, USAF
Assistant DCS, Operations