WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Air Force Materiel Command held the Annual Excellence Awards celebration April 8 to spotlight individuals whose outstanding contributions significantly impacted the command's mission in 2025.
Nominees in nine separate categories competed from throughout AFMC's headquarters, centers, installations, and wings.
Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, AFMC commander, hosted the event at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
“These individuals represent excellence and exemplify incredible dedication and performance,” Hurry said. “The integrated nature of our headquarters and six centers working together turns ideas into capability into air power into deterrence. Thank you for what you do and for making a difference.”
Chief Master Sgt. Bill Fitch, AFMC command chief master sergeant, echoed Hurry’s sentiment and recognized how the achievements of all the nominees drive the command forward.
“It is great to be here to honor the men and women who have worked their butts off all year long,” Fitch said. “AFMC touches everything. Every airframe, every button, every satellite. Our Airmen are pulled in a thousand different directions every day with limited resources. We buy it, we fly it, and you make it happen, and I’m excited to work alongside you and see the great work you do every single day.”
The 2025 AFMC Annual Excellence Award winners are:
During Operation Epic Fury, Macaroy flawlessly directed three Air Defense Systems and commanded operations through seven high-risk incidents. Her expert analysis uncovered more than 80 enemy drones and produced more than one dozen U.S. Central Command reports, directly shaping joint force defensive strategies. Beyond the battlefield, she inspired more than 160 volunteers across six organizations, enhancing the quality of life for deployed Airmen, and spearheaded fundraising efforts that generated more than $2,000 for the 72 SFS Defender’s Association—a testament to her exceptional leadership both on and off duty.
DeLage led five sections of Airmen, coordinating 114 intakes and more than 730 therapy sessions, dramatically reducing safety and security risks for over 370 staff members. She revitalized the Psychiatry Clinic, overhauled telehealth operations, and secured two permanent psychiatrists – a first in the military correction facility’s history. Never pausing, she earned a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration while leading a year-long drug prevention and education program for the joint installation’s youth, showcasing unparalleled dedication to mission, team, and community alike.
Figueroa oversaw a premier overseas Air Defense Center protecting U.S. and allied forces, earning the prestigious Bronze Star award. Figueroa pioneered Tinker AFB’s Counter sUAS Symposium forging partnerships with more than 115 local and federal agencies. He drives AFMC's largest Electronic Warfare program, leading 46 operators guarding Tinker AFB airspace and shielding $75 billion in vital assets. He also led more than 300 senior NCOs to help fundraise more than $30,000 for quality-of-life efforts and authored 24 professional military education seminars.
Loggins serves as the principal advisor to the squadron commander on the welfare, readiness, and professional development of assigned personnel. She provides strategic guidance to senior leadership on morale, discipline, and career progression, ensuring Air Force directives and standards are effectively implemented. Her efforts directly support the execution of air terminal, fuels management, materiel management, readiness, traffic management, vehicle maintenance, and ground transportation operations across Hill Air Force Base.
Kellner led a $2.4 billion surface-to-air missile program, synchronizing more than 30 test events across 34 sorties and employing 11 air defense weapon systems to deliver 650 weapons and 20 launch platforms to the warfighter with a record four-week average fielding timeline. She orchestrated drone test demonstrations for eight NATO nations, validating critical capabilities and accelerating their immediate operational use. Additionally, she authored the foundational operating procedures for a first-of-its-kind overseas test training range, integrating U.S. forces with five international partners and six contracted organizations while resolving complex airspace and frequency conflicts to enable seamless multinational operations.
Labedz was responsible for inspecting and ensuring compliance with AFMC Installation Commanders’ critical installation and mission support requirements across a $55 billion enterprise, encompassing eight bases, three geographically separated units, and five Air Force plants supporting more than 90,000 personnel. He excelled as the sole MAJCOM Civil Engineer Inspector during five Wing and Center-level Unit Effectiveness Inspections, leading a team of four inspectors to identify minor deficiencies and recommend key areas for improvement. Additionally, he provided strategic vision and engineering innovation to modernize bases across the Middle East, delivering solutions that enabled the transfer of seven installations to host nation forces and generated $10 million in annual savings in construction and base life support costs.
Fisher led the creation of a new Force Resource and Capability Sustainment Toolkit to support Title 10 wargames, providing real-time visibility of logistics during live exercises. Hand-selected as the technical lead for the Sentinel Acquisition Incident Review Task Force, she collaborated with the HQ AFMC team to develop an innovative dashboard tracking Sentinel Program Office milestone completion. Beyond her technical contributions, she fosters unit esprit de corps by volunteering in Junior Workforce Sessions and leading multiple directorate morale events.
Hoover leads a section of contracting officers and contract specialists executing Foreign Military Sales acquisitions. He manages a $1 billion contract portfolio supporting the training requirements of U.S. Central Command international partners, as well as the F-16 pilot and maintenance training needs of international mission partners. A recent graduate from Air Command and Staff college, Hoover directed 15 actions that directly supported 37 F-16 Foreign Military Sales customers.
Rueda leads a squadron of 141 Airmen and is responsible for the receipt, storage, maintenance, preparation, and deployment of War Reserve Materiel equipment and supplies to the warfighter. He guided the 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing’s largest quality assurance program, revamping compliance and identifying 27 errors across 13 sections. This safeguarded production at the Air Force Sustainment Center, clinching both the Group's prestigious Fleming and Chief of Safety awards. He also mentored the squadron’s Booster Club, bridging local community ties across 20 events to generate more than 2,000 volunteer hours and fundraising more than $7,000.