Engineering professionals honored

  • Published
  • By Patty Welsh
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Annual Engineering Awards Ceremony took place Feb. 16 via video teleconference from Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to multiple operating locations, including Hanscom.

The Director of Engineering for LCMC, Jorge Gonzalez, opened the ceremony by highlighting all the accomplishments.

"There was a lot of phenomenal work done this past year by our engineering workforce, both individuals and teams," he said. "This event lets us recognize our greatest asset: our people."

He added that the backgrounds of the highly-educated, diverse personnel in the engineering and technical career fields elevate efforts to achieve the mission.

Both the Battle Management and Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks Directorates had winners.

The Junior Military Engineer of the Year was 1st Lt. Paul Owens, from the Battle Management Directorate at Robins AFB, Georgia. The award recognizes outstanding technical contributions by military scientists and engineers with less than six years of science and engineering experience.

Some of the accomplishments that garnered Owens, an E-8 structural engineer, the award were: developing custom repairs of a damaged F-15 rudder and wing, realizing a savings of more than $100,000; providing expert engineering support to 28 deployed units, cutting 500 maintenance hours and reviving 12 non-mission-capable aircraft; and leading the E-8 Corrosion Working Group expanding inspections.

The Mentor Award went to Sandra Ortiz of the C3I and Networks Directorate at Lackland AFB, Texas. Ortiz, an electronics engineer, not only recruited science and engineer trainees, but personally mentored all S&E trainees, providing career and technical guidance to more than 100 personnel. She also established more than 300 S&E student contracts for Air Force hiring. In addition, she developed and led Air Force participation in the "Expanding Your Horizons" workshop where her presentations provided encouragement to more than 200 middle school girls to pursue S&E careers.

LCMC's Executive Director, Patsy Reeves, told the group she applauds their accomplishments, whether they leave with an award or not.

"Your efforts are critical to national defense," she said. "General Wolfenbarger, [former Air Force Materiel Command commander], used to say 'People are our readiness.' What you do every day is critical. Thank you for your service."