Maintenance professionals recognized at annual award ceremony

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C.-- Col. James Post, 20th Fighter Wing commander (left), and Col. Robert Hopkins, 20th Maintenance Group commander (right), award members of the 79th Aircraft Maintenance Unit the Maintenance Unit of the Year award during the 2007 Shaw Air Force Base 20th Maintenance Group Professional of the Year Awards Banquet, held at the Exhibition Center March 7. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kathrine McDowell)

Maintenance professionals recognized at annual award ceremony

SUMTER, S.C.-- Shaw Air Force Base personnel and their guests attend social hour before the 2007 20th Maintenance Group Professional of the Year Awards Banquet March 7. The banquet recognizes outstanding individual performers and sections of the Shaw 20th Maintenance Group over the past year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kathrine McDowell)

Maintenance professionals recognized at annual award ceremony

SUMTER, S.C.-- Master Sgt. Janice Thrift, Air Force Reserve Pipe Band member, warms up behind the Exhibition Center before her performance for the 2007 Shaw Air Force Base 20th Maintenance Group Professional of the Year Awards Banquet March 7. Sergeant Thrift is on temporary duty assignment from Robins AFB, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kathrine McDowell)

Maintenance professionals recognized at annual award ceremony

Published March 14, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Holly Brown
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SUMTER, S.C. -- The 20th Maintenance Group honored the maintenance professionals of the year for 2007 at the Sumter Exhibition Center March 7.

Fourteen individual and five team awards were presented to recognize the commitment, dedication and sacrifices of the 20th Fighter Wing's maintenance professionals.

"We are all about people, planes and processes in the 20th Maintenance Group," said Col. Robert Hopkins, Jr., 20th MXG commander, "and I look forward to events like these to recognize the 'people' who keep our planes and processes in top order to answer our nation's call, when summoned."

The guest speaker at the banquet was Mr. Breon Klopp, NASCAR senior director of development for Performance Instruction and Training.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 650 attendees, he discussed how both NASCAR maintenance and aircraft maintenance are similar -- the job has to get done right the first time to accomplish the mission and achieve the team's goals.

The following are the 2007 winners:

20th Maintenance Operations Squadron

Capt. Ivan Pennington, CGO of the Year
Tech Sgt. Daniel Howery, Support Person of the Year
Tech. Sgt. Paul Vatrano, Instructor of the Year
Staff Sgt. Courtney Charles, Training Manager of the Year
Senior Airman Jonathan Boyd, Maintenance Manager of the Year

20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron

Staff Sgt. William Harrison, NCO of the Year
Senior Airman John Montoya, Jr, Off-Equipment Specialist of the Year
Senior Airman Greggory Myers, Airman of the Year
Inspection Section, Off-Equipment Section of the Year
EMS AGE Flight, Flight of the Year

20th Component Maintenance Squadron

Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Bottema, Senior NCO of the Year
Support Squadron of the Year

20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

Staff Sgt. Joshua Massimer, Crew Chief of the Year

79th Aircraft Maintenance Unit

Staff Sgt. Josiah Marbury, On-Equipment Specialist of the Year
Staff Sgt. Ryan Menting, Senior Airman Brandon Savage, Airman 1st Class Michael Young; Weapons Load Crew of the Year
AMU of the Year

55th AMU

Weapons Section, On-Equipment Section of the Year

"It was a great event and opportunity to recognize the best of the best," said Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Robinson, 20th MXG interim superintendent. "Shaw AFB has been honoring its maintenance professionals since 1979. It started out as a small recognition event in an aircraft hanger and slowly evolved into what it is today."