AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate luncheon honors annual awardees

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate honored its top performers at the 8th Annual Awards Luncheon, Jan. 30, 2020, at the Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton, Ohio.

Master of Ceremonies Miguel Maldonado kicked off the event, themed “RQ and You,” a play on the directorate’s official two-letter designation.

Dr. Michael Gregg, director of the Aerospace Systems Directorate, then took the stage to welcome the crowd and thank attendees for a year of hard work and achievement. “I think you should take a lot of pride in what you’re doing. The things you’re doing right now are really setting the tone and the character of the Air Force from a technology perspective for the next two decades.”

Guest speaker Capt. Joshua Caudill of the Air National Guard’s 112th Fighter Squadron, spoke to the gathering about his experiences as a fighter pilot and the journey that took him from working in the field of financial management to pursuing his lifelong dream of flying for the military. He extolled the virtues of the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, a technology developed within the Aerospace Systems Directorate and subsequently integrated onto U.S. Air Force Block 40/50 F-16 aircraft. Caudill, who has flown extensively with the system, helped capture data that allowed directorate researchers to further refine and improve the technology.

“What you all do reduces the risk that I take every day,” Caudill said.

Retaking the stage, Gregg presented Caudill with a coin on behalf of the directorate. Maldonado then joined him to begin the presentation of awards.

The recipients of the 8th Annual Aerospace Systems Directorate awards are as follows:

• Administrative Excellence Award – Reinnah Gilson
• Scientific/Technical Technician Award (Individual) – Rodney Gough
• Scientific/Technical Technician Award (Team) – The Trisonic Gasdynamics Facility 5000 Horse Power Motor Repair Team: Kevin L. King, Paul J. Olekas, and Nathan S. Brown
• Mission Support Award (Individual) – Eva Lawson
• Mission Support Award (Team) – The Edwards Munition Team: Andrew Williams, Technical Sgt. Anthony Cook, and Staff Sgt. Tyler Ellis
• Technology Transfer and Transition Award (Team) – F-35 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System Team: Amy Burns, and Kevin Price
• Mentoring Award – Katherine Sheets
• Leadership Award – Marquise Goodeaux
• Senior Leadership Award – Dr. Marcus Young
• Supervisory Award – Carlos Arana
• Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Award – Technical Sgt. Anthony Cook
• Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Award – Master Sgt. David Rash
• Company Grade Officer of the Year Award – Capt. Christopher Hare
• Individual Mobilization Augmentee Field Grade Officer of the Year – Maj. Matthew Dillsaver
• Field Grade Officer of the Year – Maj. Brian Kroeger
• Innovation Award – Dr. Kamran Ghiassi
• Scientific and Technical Management Award – Dr. Mathew Kirsch
• Scientific and Technical Achievement Award (Individual) – William Boles
• Scientific and Technical Achievement Award (Team) – Green Propellant Infusion Mission Team: Anthony Zuttarelli, Dr. Ghanshyam Vaghjiani, Dr. Marcus Young, Michael Tinnirello, Adam Brand, Dr. Jerry Boatz, Dr. Jeffrey Mills, and Brett Wight
• International Award (Individual) – Jason Mossman
• International Award (Team) – Engineered Surfaces, Materials, and Coatings Team: Gary Dale and 1st Lt. Dylan Hope
• Civilian of the Year Category I – April Valdez
• Civilian of the Year Category II – Crystal McGaha
• Civilian of the Year Category III – Dr. Samuel Bailie
• Director’s Trophy Classified (Junior Force Individual) – Brock Pleiman
• Director’s Trophy Classified (Senior Individual) – Mark H. Amos
• Director’s Trophy Classified (Team) – Flying and Handling Quality Team: Stephanie Simon; Kenneth Sewell, III; Isaac Weintraub; and Deryck Beard
• Director’s Trophy (Junior Force Individual) – Kerianne Hobbs
• Director’s Trophy (Senior Individual) – Dr. Daniel Brown
• Director’s Trophy (Team) – XQ-58A Valkyrie Flight Test Team: Douglas Szczublewski, Lauren Zientarski, and David L. Hart
• Dr. Richard B. Rivir Scientific and Technical Achievement Award – Jared Neely
• E. C. Simpson Award – Large Scramjet Test Team: Todd Barhorst, 1st Lt. Samuel Nyamekye, Paul Kennedy, Dr. Jeffrey Donbar, and Dr. Kristen M. Rice
• Dr. Courtland D. Perkins Award – High Temperature Case Technologies Team: Geoffrey Trapp and Dr. Gregory Yandek
• Don Ross Award – Dr. George Harting
• S. D. Heron Award – Dr. Roger Kimmel
• General Benjamin D. Foulois Award – Dr. Laura Humphrey

The Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate honored its top performers at the 8th Annual Awards Luncheon, Jan. 30, 2020, at the Schuster Center in Dayton, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Danielle DeBorde)