71st OSS members, facility best in AETC

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tony Wickman
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Flying in and out of the second busiest airport in the Air Force takes top notch people and facilities to accomplish the mission without accidents. Add the fact that most of the pilots using the airfield are learning to fly only magnifies the importance of the people and facilities needed to accomplish the mission without accidents.
This fact proved true for members of the 71st Operations Support Squadron when they were recently recognized as the best in Air Education and Training Command.
Mr. James Murray was named the 2005 AETC Civilian Air Traffic Controller of the Year. Master Sgt. Kevin Crammer, now assigned to the 354th Operations Support Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, was chosen as the 2005 AETC ATC Enlisted Manager of the Year. The 71st OSS Radar Approach Control was selected as the 2005 AETC ATC Facility of the Year.
According to Lt. Col. Ronald Baldinger, 71st OSS commander, many key initiatives and efforts made the 71st OSS award recipients the best in the command.
"Vance is the busiest airfield in AETC and second busiest in the entire Air Force," Colonel Baldinger said. "These awards show that no one in the command does it better. We have to have that level of expertise and perfection of execution to safely conduct our mission with such a high operations tempo."
The Air Operations Flight overcame emergency staffing levels and one of the highest deployment tempos on base by meeting these challenges head on and implementing aggressive plans to meet all AEF and mission requirements safely and professionally, he said.
Other 71st OSS highlights included achieving a 97 percent compliance rating during the 2005 Air Traffic Systems Inspection, which ran concurrent with the Operational Readiness Inspection, exceeding both AETC and Air Force averages. Also, the unit exceeded the MAJCOM yearly goal to train and qualify 12 controllers by four.
These accomplishments directly contributed to the 71st OSS being the wing nominee for the 2005 Verne Orr Award, said Colonel Baldinger.
According to Sergeant Crammer, the awards validate the hard work and support of the entire 71st OSS team.
"We were more than a team, we were family," said Sergeant Crammer. "I owe my successes to the great people I've worked with in the RAPCON. Everyone stepped up -- Airmen, NCOs, civilians and officers -- and each took personal pride in bettering the mission and our facility. I hope that the Ghostriders, members of the Operations Group and Team Vance take pride in this honor as well. It is a reflection of their support."
Sergeant Crammer said he personally credits Capt. Dan Williams, Lt. Col. Scott Reed and Col. Kevin Kriner for his success.
When asked about the RAPCON award, Sergeant Crammer said he knows why it was the best facility in AETC.
"They are inseparable (controllers doing their job), which is why the RAPCON won facility of the year," he said. "Together we succeed or fail. They are the best in AETC and I'm glad that the command formally recognized it."
According to Lt. Col. Baldinger, the awards are a huge motivator and show troops how important their jobs are to mission accomplishment.
"The more ways we can recognize the tremendous work or our Airmen, the better," said Colonel Baldinger. "These awards are a reflection of the outstanding work conducted every day by the 71st OSS, and they are being recognized by not only Vance, but all the way to AETC."