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Kadena Airman earns Air Force level award in career field

  • Published
  • By By Master Sgt. Marilyn C. Holliday
  • 353rd Special Operations Group
A Pacific Air Commando assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Group earned top honors in the aircrew life support career field recently.

Technical Sgt. Jennifer Hellwig, an aircrew life support instructor, was named the Air Force-level Aircrew Life Support NCO for 2005.

Humbled by the award, Sergeant Hellwig said, “I just have an insatiable knack for talking a lot. What better forum than the undivided attention of a classroom filled with students?”

A native of Pennsylvania with 15 years in the aircrew life support career field, she lists the variety of opportunities as reasons she enjoys her work. “There are not many career fields that incorporate so many different facets of the Air Force,” Sergeant Hellwig said. “Life support technicians become resident experts in not just life saving equipment use, but in supply, munitions, hazardous waste accumulation site management, safety and aircrew instructions.”

In 2005 she managed the life support continuation training program, teaching 30 classes for 200 aircrew members. She also authored the life support continuation training lesson plans for the aircrew refresher course.

When asked about the best aspect of her job, she replied, “The best thing is the interaction with the aircrew and augmenting combat and water survival training.”

She assisted with seven water survival classes and helped ensure student safety during the parachute drag portion of the exercise. She is also an augmentee for survival, evasion, resistance and escape training instructors, recently portraying the enemy and pursuing special operations aircrew members through the local jungle in Okinawa.

“Sergeant Hellwig is exceptional,” Lt. Col. Rick Samuels, 353rd Operations Support Squadron, said. “She’s fearless, determined and a leader of unwavering professionalism. She truly is peerless.”

Sergeant Hellwig was also selected to fill the resource advisor position for the squadron, managing more than $450,000 annually. Most recently she earned distinguished graduate and commandant’s award at Kadena’s Erwin NCO Academy graduation.

When giving advice to newcomers in the career field, she pulls no punches. “The Air Force isn’t always easy and it promises to get even tougher,” she said. “We need strong willed, innovative, inspiring and patriotic people to take the Air Force well beyond the 21st Century.”

Sergeant Hellwig and her husband, Technical Sgt. Trent Hellwig, and their children, Ashley and Micah, are all stationed at Kadena. Sergeant Hellwig is currently pursuing both her Community College of the Air Force degree and bachelor’s degree in business management.