Individual deeds set foundation for AFSOC awards Published May 6, 2008 By Master Sgt. Stuart Camp 1st Special Operations Wing public affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Air Force Special Operations Command honors its 10 annual award winners May 8. Each winner has special achievements for 2007, which are the foundation for their award. The following chronicles their individual achievements. IMA officer "Surprise, you won." That's Lt. Col. Jeff Hinrich's take on his award as AFSOC's independent mobilization augmentee of the year. "This is an award I didn't think centrally-managed IMAs could be nominated for, let alone receive, especially when you think about how many of the AFSOC IMA Airmen fly and fight in direct combat operations," he said. Colonel Hinrichs is a reservist who serves as director of operations for the 11th Intelligence Squadron, an active-duty squadron he describes as "one of the most -- if not THE most -- dynamically changing squadron in the Air Force." Humbly, the 1992 Air Force Academy graduate credits the mission and 100-plus Airmen of the 11th IS for the award. "It just so happened I worked in a unit that executes 24/7 ops in highly visible, direct support of the warfighter," he said. "These (11th IS) Airmen make calls on a daily basis that literally drive operational and strategic decisions forward. It is truly amazing the quality of folks we are able to work with in the Air Force." Amid his Reserve job at Hurlburt Field and running a private business 180 miles away, the colonel completed Air War College through correspondence. When asked what the best part of his job was, Colonel Hinrichs boiled it down to leadership. "Pushing operational decisions as low as possible, being amazed at their creativity/ingenuity ... and developing these Airmen to be better leaders themselves. I am literally able to watch the future leaders of the Air Force apply leadership principles on a daily basis that make positive changes in their folks, the unit, and the Air Force." Company grade officer California is home to AFSOC's company grade officer of the year. Capt. Michael Jensen, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, has matured from an aircraft mechanic working in his father's small business into a special tactics officer fighting in the global war on terror. The Air Force Academy graduate is the flight commander of 15-man flight stationed at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. At 28 years old, he's credited with leading 43 airmen on 83 missions achieving "staggering effects," according to his commander. With the dual responsibility as an operator and commander, he's a warrior and a mentor. In 2007, Captain Jensen was the top graduate from a shooting school and completed the freefall jumpmaster course - labeled the special operations forces highest attrition school. Now, he leads training with his Airmen. While downrange on his two deployments last year, the captain embedded with an elite assault element and used U.S. and coalition airpower to attack terrorists and protect the assault force from ambushes and attack. He also managed dense airspace during high-value target hunt. The Californian guided 31 close air support and surveillance aircraft during a 5-1/2 hour mission, which disrupted al-Qaeda operations. He parlayed his operations experience to mentor new forward-deployed UAV crews and resolved persistent communications problems for better information to warfighters. Captain Jensen, who was a triathlete as a collegian, was the sole joint terminal attack controller with a cave assessment team, and led a survey team into an Afghan mountain range. The result was a new cave-buster bomb. Category 3 civilian Gary Saltzburg, assigned to Cannon's 27th CES, is the oldest of this year's award winners--turning 60 earlier this year. He marked his sixth decade by being named AFSOC's category 3 civilian of the year. "Without a doubt, this is definitely my high year of recognition, but I can't forget to thank all those that worked so diligently to remove us from the base realignment and closure list and give AFSOC a base to be proud of," said the former Airman who served in Vietnam in 1968. When he was notified of the honor, the first person he told was Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Sena, his heating, ventilation, and air conditioning NCO-in-charge, who wrote the original award nomination. "Very few people receive an award for self performance," said the hunting enthusiast from Pennsylvania. "As a supervisor most of your accomplishments come for conscientious and hard working team members all striving for excellence." Mr. Saltzburg leads a team of 23 civilians and Airmen in the squadron's mechanical element. They are responsible for 1,628 facilities and performed more than 7,300 work orders last year. With the transition from Air Combat Command to AFSOC, he reviewed more than $101 million in military construction contracts. After a tornado ripped through Clovis March 23, Mr Saltzburg organized two four-man crews to remove debris as residents cleared 40 city blocks damaged by the storm. He said this award isn't a swan song before retiring and pursuing his passion of traveling the country full-time. "I will continue to serve until its no longer fun," he said. Category 2 civilian Kathleen Denny is the unit education and training manager for Hurlburt's 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron and the Category 2 civilian of the year for the command. The retired master sergeant is credited with launching an automated training record program in the squadron. This included hand-jamming 350 squadron training records into a computer-based management system, which cut ancillary "overdues" by 80 percent. The civilian from Boston with a degree in business management immersed herself in the Training Business Area. "I learned this system from the ground up," she said. "I used my knowledge to develop and conduct hands-on training classes to over 90 unit/base work center supervisors so they could use these tools to implement TBA in their sections." She built computer-based pre-test program for people in 5- and 7- level upgrades, which resulted in end-of-course scores jumping 18 percent with no failures. Mrs. Denny said the best part of her job is interacting with the Airmen in upgrade training, because it sets a firm foundation. "I feel my job has a tremendous responsibility to set the stage for all newly assigned personnel so they are provided the proper training to successfully accomplish the mission, at home station or the deployed location," she said. "The training they receive as Airmen will effect mission readiness and it will determine how they train future Airmen when they are supervisors." Not just a mentor to her young charges in the undefined classrooms of on-the-job training, upgrades and continuing professional education, Mrs. Denny paced three squadron Airmen to passing scores in the 1.5-mile run portion of the Air Force fitness test. Category 1 civilian Detective. Think of him as a plain clothes sleuth who ferrets out criminals in the ranks. Tony Correia's day-to-day work may not merit a Mickey Spillane novel, but he gets results for the 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron at Hurlburt Field. Mr. Correia, 47, is the squadron's investigations and ground intelligence branch chief and AFSOC's Category 1 civilian of the year. "Being able to work with a great group of folks is what made this award possible for me," said the retired master sergeant from Providence, R.I. He is responsible for busting criminals and supporting the overall security of Hurlburt Field. For this task, it's him, one full-time colleague and a part-time reservist. They opened 70 cases in 2007 - a 75 percent increase from the previous year - recovering $84,000 in cash and stole property. This tally includes 16 cases entrusted to them by Air Force OSI agents. Investigations' mission entails more than pursuing criminal acts committed on base. Mr. Correia also worked with OSI on surveillance of two foreign intelligence officers collecting data on Hurlburt Field. He also collaborated with OSI and the contracting squadron to net 11 illegal immigrants working on base with contractors. "Without a doubt the Air Force gives you opportunities to excel, and it is a great way of life," he said. "I have had the privilege of working in this command for more then 14 years, both on active duty and now as a civilian. This is the best command to work for." Senior NCO Master Sgt. Charles McHarney IV, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, is the command's senior NCO of the year. He also won the AFSOC's Lance P. Sijan award for the senior enlisted category. With all the accolades and achievements in the war on terror, Sergeant McHarney considered something else as his greatest achievement in 2007. "I was the Family Liaison Officer for Mary Duffman after her husband, Scott, was killed in a helicopter crash while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom," he said. Tech. Sgt. Scott Duffman was one of eight people killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in February 2007. "Scott was my best friend and I care a great deal for Mary and their daughter Sophia," said the 33-year-old from North Carolina. "It was truly an honor to perform those duties and ensure Mary and Sophia were properly cared for." Sergeant McHarney is a career special tactics team member who has multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he's earned three Bronze Stars in his 15 years on active duty. The master sergeant is the squadron's special tactics flight chief - one who does the job as well as leading others. During his 180-plus days deployed, he is credited with leading a 17-man flight which completed 111 missions, providing close air support and controlling aircraft on combat missions. "There are so many talented individuals throughout the AFSOC community," he said. "The fact that I was even considered for this award is humbling by itself. It (working in AFSOC) is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity I do not take for granted. I consider myself extremely blessed to be operating in/with such an elite community." First sergeant The first sergeant of the year loves the job he cross-trained into three years ago. Master Sgt. Glenn Douglass says it's all about the people. "Serving as a first sergeant in the U.S. Air Force has been the most rewarding experience of my life," said Sergeant Douglass. "The lives that you touch and careers you help pay big dividends. Our battlefield Airman are the tip of the spear and the wave of the future. AFSOC is continually growing and it's my distinct pleasure to be part of it." The 24-year veteran oversees the health and welfare of more than 450 Airmen assigned to the 352nd Maintenance Squadron at RAF Mildenhall. Up until October, he was the shirt for the 321st Special Tactics Squadron there. "The best part of job is the interaction between myself and the Airman. They know my door is always open," he said. His accomplishments include two deployments, leading 75 dorm residents in an 84-room self-help project to improve quality of life, helping raise more than $18,000 for base families and events, coordinating a barbecue for 350 Special Olympics athletes and briefing the Air Force chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force on overseas tour length issues at an NCO forum in Washington, D.C. But, the senior NCO from Butler, Pa., shares this award with two VIPs. "Most credit goes to my family, my wife and daughter, for never complaining when I have to leave in the middle of dinner or on a weekend when I have an Airman in need," Sergeant Douglass said. NCO Tech. Sgt. Nadine Cabano is the NCO of the Year for AFSOC. This utilities systems craftsman for Cannon Air Force Base's 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer squadron hails from Boone, N.C., and she displays a "can do, will do" attitude, according to her bosses. "It is very humbling to be recognized out of all of AFSOC for this, as my career field is not one of the most glamorous or high profile in the command," she said. "The best part of my job is knowing that I contribute to the overall quality of life of the entire base populace at home and being able to provide basic life sustaining services to the warfighter in the area of responsibility." During 2007, Cabano had water lines to repair, sewage mains to unclog and a Taco Bell to build. Yes, she's credited with installing the culinary creature comfort at Balad Air Base, Iraq. But she said her highlight of the year was being chosen as the AFSOC subject matter expert for a utilization and training workshop discussing merger of the utilities and liquid fuels career fields. The NCO-in-charge of the utilities shop grasped opportunities to grow as an Airman. She attended the first sergeant symposium, and she completed the Senior NCO Academy correspondence course in less than a month. Sergeant Cabano joined AFSOC with the rest of the Cannon population in October, but she said it's a new viewpoint of the Air Force she serves. "Being able to serve in the AF is a very rewarding experience, and being with AFSOC is a chance to get a first-hand look at the Air Force's capabilities that are not as widely publicized as the rest of the commands." IMA enlisted Tech. Sgt. Jessica Sparks is an Airman who trades her civilian attire from life outside the Air Force for civilian attire as an Air Force Reservist assigned to Hurlburt Field's 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron. She is an investigator, who works alongside another AFSOC annual award winner - Anthony Correia - at Hurlburt Field. "I get the best of both worlds," she said. "I stay at home full-time, and I come in to do my Reserve time when they need me." The 31-year-old sergeant, who is AFSOC's enlisted individual mobilization augmentee of the year, juggles a life as a stay-at-home mother, military spouse and Reservist who spent nearly two months "on duty" last year. During that time, she stepped in as pass and registration NCO-in-charge and cleared out a backlog of more than 7,000 vehicle registrations not entered into a security database. Sergeant Sparks, who graduated Cum Laude from Troy State University with a degree in criminal justice in 2007, was selected as an investigator to augment a two-person office. "The office was slammed with cases," said the mother of two, who was born in Pascagoula, Miss. "It (Reserve duty) allows me to keep up with changes in technology and investigative skills." She opened and closed 10 cases last year with a 100-percent solve rate, which recovered more than $4,000. The NCO is also credited with initiating an investigation involving drug use and theft of government property, netting seven criminals and recovering $9,000. Sergeant Sparks also helped blow the lid off illegal use of the drug Salvia. "It was like a bomb exploded," she said as she described the aftermath of the discovery, which included interviewing witnesses and briefing base leaders. Airman At 23 years old, she's the youngest of the annual award winners, and she's also assigned to a growing unit that has only existed since Aug. 1, 2006. Senior Airman Mary Bullock is an imagery analyst in the 11th Intelligence Squadron, which belongs to 23rd Air Force, at Hurlburt Field. Airman Bullock, AFSOC's airman of the year, has achieved much in the short time since she reported to basic training in January 2006. She graduated from technical school and reported to the new 11th IS, which put her on the ground floor of standing up the outfit. She is part of the cadre of intelligence analysts who conduct full motion video and all-source analysis for U.S. Special Operations Command and its components, monitoring targets for activity and personnel of interest, and creating intelligence products tailored for specific SOF missions. She's a key part of an organization labeled an "unblinking eye" for special operations forces. The airman, who hails from Richmond, Va., responded to a six-month deployment with just two days notice. She excelled on the job by providing dedicated intelligence support to the warfighter, for which she was decorated with the Joint Service Achievement Medal. While supporting the War on Terror in a forward location, she found time to complete all four volumes of her CDCs and pass her end-of-course exam with an 88. Airman Bullock has a compassionate streak. She's a certified nurse's aid, which she earned in high school, but she continues caring for others through the Airman Against Drunk Driving program and volunteering at the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society.