HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Air Commandos gathered to honor their top performers during the Outstanding Airmen and civilians of the Year banquet here May 9.
The OAY banquet is an annual celebration honoring the best Airmen and civilians in Air Force Special Operations Command. Supervisors nominated Airmen with exceptional service in their workplace and communities, who also excelled in their professional development.
The 2017 AFSOC OAY winners are:
ENLISTED
Senior Airman Tiffany I. Bentacourt, 353rd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Brett M. Laswell, 4th Special Operations Squadron
Master Sgt. Thomas J. Gunnell, 26th Special Tactics Squadron
FIRST SERGEANT
Master Sgt. Celestino D. Madrid, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineering Squadron
COMPANY GRADE OFFICER
Capt. Anthony J. Chiaro, 321st Special Tactics Squadron
HONOR GUARD
Senior Airman Bryce A. Phillip, 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Chumphol Saengchaem, 27th Special Operations Force Support Squadron
INDIVIDUAL RESERVIST
Staff Sgt. Kristin L. Feldner, 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron
Capt. Hila Levy, 352nd Special Operations Wing
CIVILIAN
Mr. Daniel S. Cota, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineering Squadron
Ms. Susan A. Copeland, Financial Management Directorate
Mr. Eric M. Spessard, 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron
Mr. Robert W. Norene, Strategic Plans, Programs, & Requirements Directorate
Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, who served as the keynote speaker, commended the award winners for their extraordinary leadership skills. “Leaders find a way, every day, in every squadron,” said Webb. “In this age of great power competition, we need champions. Those champions sit amongst us today. Every day, AFSOC Airmen do extraordinary things. Every mission flown, every meal served, every aircraft maintained. You are the right leaders that we need.”
Betancourt, Laswell and Gunnell will compete against other outstanding Airmen in the Air Force 12 Outstanding Airman of the Year program.