ESC Annual Award winners announced Published March 25, 2008 By Meredith March 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds, Electronic Systems Center commander, announced the ESC annual awards for 2007 during a ceremony March 20. The winners are: Airman of the Year During 2007, Senior Airman Lateeah Morrell, 66th Comptroller Squadron Pay Services technician, deployed in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, where she was selected Warrior of the Week and Airman of the Month while serving as a cashier. She assisted with the initial Air Force launch of the stored value card and collected more than $170,000 in Uniformed Services Savings Deposits Program deposits and briefed members on program benefits. She also initiated deployed entitlements for more than 25,000 warfighters in the Area of Responsibility. Airman Morrell was also named the 66th Air Base Wing Staff Agency's Airman of the Year for 2007. Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Tech. Sgt. John G. Williams Jr. serves as the 66th Security Forces Squadron Operations noncommissioned officer in charge. He was also named 66 ABW NCO of the Year for 2007. While deployed to the Central Command Area of Responsibility, Sergeant Williams led the first Air Force Provincial Level Police Transition Team. He also led troops through enemy attacks, commanded more than 120 convoys and 80 dismounted patrol missions and organized and supervised transition team training sessions. At Hanscom, Sergeant Williams managed four flights of more than 63 active-duty and Reserve servicemembers. He secured more than $10 billion in war-fighting assets and led security for more than 20 multi-service aircraft. Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Senior Master Sgt. David Pate, 754th Electronic Systems Group Network Operations Flight superintendent, was also named an ESC and 554th Electronic Systems Wing Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter during 2007. Sergeant Pate managed a $200,000 project, installing 23 emergency radio stanchions and elevating force protection for 30,000 people. He managed a $900,000 Army account and negotiated a deal to restore communications networks throughout CENTCOM. He also led Air Force level operations tests of computer power management, resulting in an estimated Air Force-wide power reduction of 42 percent. First Sergeant of the Year Master Sgt. Melissa Smiley serves as the Cryptologic Systems Group first sergeant at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. In 2007, Sergeant Smiley assisted the CPSG commander in supervising more than 800 personnel and a budget of more than $3 billion. She resolved more than 96 personnel actions and coordinated with the Office of Special Investigations and base personnel during a high visibility case. Sergeant Smiley also revitalized the Dorm of the Quarter program and procured more than $9,000 in funding and created new readiness checklists for 50 personnel deployed in support of the Global War on Terror, resulting in new basewide benchmarks. Company Grade Officer of the Year Capt. Lewis Pate, 38th Engineering Installation Group System Telecommunication Engineering manager, led a 56-member team in installing $12 million in strategic command and control equipment, which enabled the redeployment of 21 Airmen and $3 million in assets. He engineered data, voice and video solutions for 89 remote U.S. personnel in the CENTCOM, saving $42,000 in engineering fees. Captain Pate received the 38 EIG CGO of the Quarter award for the first and fourth quarters and was named the group's CGO of the Year for 2007. He was also ESC's CGO of the third quarter. Field Grade Officer of the Year Lt. Col. Denise Irizarry, 66th Medical Support Squadron commander, led 60 personnel in seven units, served more than 24,000 beneficiaries and supervised a budget of more than $8 million. She implemented a nursing and technician training agreement with the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center, resulting in more than 600 training hours completed and heightened medical readiness skills. Colonel Irizarry was awarded the 66 MDSS and 66th Medical Group Field Grade Officer of the Quarter for the second quarter, as well as 66 ABW FGO of the Year for 2007. She also received the 2007 AFMC Maj. Gen. Barbara C. Brannon Nursing Leadership Annual Award. Civilian of the Year, Category I During 2007, Theresa Forbush, 350th Electronic Systems Wing contract specialist, was also selected as a 350 ELSW Civilian of the Quarter and ESC Outstanding Contracting Civilian, GS-11 and Below, for the fourth quarter. Ms. Forbush supervised more than 106 actions worth $29 million. She saved more than $89,000 through competitive source selection and also executed a more than $6 million Campus Area Network standardization and modernization effort, laying a foundation for future CAN infrastructure upgrades. Civilian of the Year, Category II Roxanne Gafford, CPSG Electronics engineer, provided systems engineering support to the Air Force Cryptographic Modernization program and led initiatives to identify and modernize more than 193,000 devices, providing secure Defense Department weapons employment. She led a high-speed encryption initiative team in gathering requirements and outlining acquisition development and cost options to meet warfighter capabilities. Ms.Gafford also participated in a joint source selection with the high-speed cryptological module evaluation team, providing technical assessment and ensuring the best value award for a $12 million development effort. Civilian of the Year, Category III Annette Benging, CPSG Business Operations Division chief, manages the CPSG's Balanced Scorecard and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century programs and supervises the Commanders Compliance Program, Reports of Survey, Audits, Inspections and Management Controls as well as History, Public Affairs and Civilian awards. On temporary duty assignment, she spearheaded contractor module development in the Comprehensive Cost and Requirements System and streamlined project developments across the CPSG with a development chosen to be launched Air Force wide. Individual Mobilization Augmentee of the Year, Enlisted Tech. Sgt. Sally Borrego, 753rd Electronic Systems Group Information Management craftsman, assumed a leadership position during a manpower shortage and after the noncommissioned officer in charge permanently changed station. Sergeant Borrego briefed group and squadron commanders, as well as division chiefs, on time-sensitive taskings and personnel issues. She also orchestrated three Commander's Calls, processed more than 200 awards and decorations and provided accurate and timely Officer and Enlisted Performance Reports to ESC. Individual Mobilization Augmentee of the Year, Officer Lt. Col. Michael Olson, 753 ELSG senior IMA, served as acting commander of a squadron of 75 personnel and executed a $217 million budget during a period of major transition. The colonel executed Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment Spiral 1, solving issues while maintaining the initiative schedules and ensuring performance. He led preparation for key architecture design review for JEFX 08-1. Colonel Olson also designed a budget and plans for future JEFX events.