Airfield systems technician named Airman of the Month

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Frank Casciotta
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Senior Airman Anthony Marple, an airfield systems technician with the 71st Communications Squadron, is the 71st Flying Training Wing Airman of the Month for January.

Each month Airmen are selected by their supervisors to represent their squadrons as Airman of the Month. They face a board consisting of a senior NCO, an NCO and the previous month's Airman of the Month.

Marple discovered his success with the board when Col. Darren James, the 71st FTW commander, called for a meeting outside Building 248 where Marple works.

"We were all outside listening to him," said Marple. "At one point he walked up to me and asked about my weekend and knew all these things about me. That's when I thought, 'I know where this is going.'"

James then coined Marple and congratulated him on a job well done.

"It was pretty exciting and it felt good," said Marple, a native of Peabody, Kan.

"I put him in for Airman of the Month because he continuously has a good attitude and completes his tasks in a professional and timely manner," said Senior Airman Kevin Ellis, airfield systems technician and Marple's supervisor.

"He's very good at what he does. There was an incident recently where he was trouble shooting some radios and discovered issues with the equipment before the user noticed anything was wrong," said Ellis.

Airfield technicians like Marple are essential to the mission at Vance. Without them, the air-to-ground communication systems and navigational equipment could not be maintained.

"I love my job because I get to be a problem solver," said Marple. "I get a lot of satisfaction from my job because without us keeping communication equipment in top condition our pilots wouldn't be able to train. Without us, the mission stops."