AFMC nominates Col., Mrs. Dennis for O'Malley Award

  • Published
  • By Monica D. Morales
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Col. Dwyer Dennis, 551st Electronic Systems Wing commander, and his wife, Tammy, were recently named Air Force Materiel Command's nominees for the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award.

"This is an incredible and humbling honor," said Colonel Dennis. "The accomplishments of an organization are not solely determined by the leadership or dedication of an individual -- it is the leadership, talents, and commitment by all team members. I'm proud of and for the '5-5-1 Second to None' and the entire Hanscom community because this nomination recognizes the significant contributions of each military, civilian and contractor Airman."

The award, named in honor of the late General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley, recognizes the wing commander and spouse team whose contributions to the nation, the Air Force, and the local community best exemplify the highest ideals and positive leadership of a military couple serving in a key Air Force position.

During last November's AFMC Unit Compliance Inspection, Colonel Dennis led three out of four wing groups to earn ratings of 'excellent' - the most groups to earn that rating of any ESC organization. The wing also championed ESC's cross-wing, cross-service Line of Sight/Beyond Line of Sight initiative on E-3, E-2 and E-8, achieving the first-ever multi-link Internet Protocol airborne networks for machine-to-machine data transfer.

The colonel also led the wing to deliver the Joint Precision Air Drop capability -- minimizing threats to aircraft and ground crews -- with 95 percent of all air drops relying on JPADS. Additionally, the 551 ELSW answered a Joint Urgent Operational Need, fielding $3.6 million Improved Explosive Device sensing and prediction software six months early.

In terms of base and local initiatives, the wing took the lead for the Adopt Hanscom Pride area cleanup efforts, Toys for Tots donations, Combined Federal Campaign and Voting Assistance programs and organized American Indian Heritage Month activities. Colonel Dennis is also the executive director of the AFCEA board of directors, and a strong supporter of Young AFCEAns membership drives.

"We must be watchful and invest in each other -- contributing to the Hanscom community and the local community is simply the right thing to do," he said. "Our wing members also live throughout the local community and can, and should, be involved to make the lives of their neighbors better. I'm convinced, that as we reach out both within the Hanscom fence and throughout the local area, that the core value of 'service before self' will be contagious."

As president of the Hanscom Spouses Club, Mrs. Dennis led the organization through its conversion from two separate officer and enlisted groups into one with joint membership. Penning the slogan, 'Together we're better,' she developed a marketing campaign that boosted membership numbers to 168.

"We truly believe that together we're better and together we can connect, invest, socialize and give back to our community," said Mrs. Dennis of her work with the spouses club. "I am most proud of our members for demonstrating what we believe and having fun in the process."

Under her leadership, the spouses club also raised $49,000 in scholarships and charitable contributions. Those efforts earned the HSC the Board of Directors Memorial Award from Hanscom Federal Credit Union for contributions that demonstrated the credit union's principle of people helping people.

Exemplifying the role of supporting spouse, Mrs. Dennis was one of three ESC spouses who attended AFMC's Senior Leader Conference. Within the 551 ELSW, she leads a five-person wing key spouse team that ensures up-to-date training and monthly meetings with 66th Air Base Wing functional experts.

"As military spouses we have several unique things in common -- some fun and some not so fun," she said. "Spouses and families are part of the team and matter to the mission, and the key spouse team plays a vital role in affirming their value and providing assistance."

As Air Force Materiel Command's nominees, the couple will go on to compete at the Air Force level.