18th OSS claims PACAF awards

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keith A. James
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The 18th Operations Support Squadron was recently recognized by Pacific Air Forces for their outstanding performance, personnel and service.

The 18th OSS won six PACAF annual awards including the D. Ray Hardin Air Traffic Control Facility of the Year, Air Traffic Control Enlisted Manager of the Year and the Air Traffic Controller of the Year award. In addition, the squadron won PACAF's Aircrew Flight Equipment Large Program of the Year, Outstanding Aircrew Flight Equipment Senior NCO of the Year and Outstanding NCO Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Specialist Award.

The D. Ray Hardin ATC facility of the year award is given to the ATC facility that has made a notable contribution to quality, safety, outstanding handling of an unusual traffic workload, emergency situations, deployments or exercises and sustained efficiency in air traffic control as recognized by users of the service.

The 18th OSS Airfield Operations Flight provided ATC for 18th Wing and partner units and facilitated more than 5,000 joint service sorties. The flight also provided ATC services for Department of Defense and civilian aircraft operating to and from Kadena and aided the recovery of 98 in flight emergencies, protecting over 800 lives and $16.4 billion in assets.

"This is Major Command recognition, PACAF's recognition of the work our team does every day and I am extremely proud of them because it can be almost transparent to the operators we support. Everyone expects the airfield to run perfectly 24-hours a day along with air traffic control. Our aircrew flight equipment personnel and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists are also performing at the top of their game, so it reinforces and validates everyone's efforts over the past year" said Lt. Col. Robert Pekarek, 18th Operations Support Squadron commander.

The squadron was also recognized as the Aircrew Flight Equipment Large Program of the Year. The 18th OSS AFE flight supported ten operational squadrons on Kadena Air Base and enabled more than 20,000 flying hours, 10,000 aircraft sorties and 1000 parachute jumps. The flight also supported 12 individual and unit deployments participating in operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom. "Aircrew Flight Equipment's dedication and expertise is critical to Kadena's mission success at Kadena and for our deployed units," said Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Boteler, 18th OSS aircrew flight equipment flight chief. "All of our personnel are highly trained, skilled experts. Master Sgt. Melinda Jennings' selection as PACAF's Outstanding Aircrew Flight Equipment Senior NCO of the Year represents our very best".

Outstanding squadron members within each flight were also recognized by PACAF. Senior Master Sgt. Billy Davis, 18th OSS control tower chief controller, won the ATC Enlisted Manager of the Year award and led the way for the ATC facility award. Staff Sgt. Ronald Hutchins, NCO in charge of standardization and evaluation, earned a PACAF "Aviation Safety Well Done Award" earlier in the year and was named PACAF's Air Traffic Controller of the Year for 2012. Tech Sgt. William Lambert, from the 18th OSS weapons and tactics flight, earned PACAF's Outstanding NCO SERE Specialist Award.

"We are the busiest airfield in Pacific Command, averaging 312,000 operations per year in a very complex and dynamic environment" Pekarek said.

In addition to Kadena-based aircraft, our personnel control aircraft from all services plus those of our host nation to include civilian traffic. "We are proud to have been recognized by PACAF, since Kadena is a challenging place for airfield operations and aircrew flight equipment. Despite an operations tempo comparable to a deployed environment, the mission is accomplished with finesse. It's truly a team achievement.