2009 Air Force safety awards announced

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KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --  Officials at the Air Force Safety Center here have released the list of recipients of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff and Chief of Safety Awards for 2009.  These awards, according to safety officials, exemplify the best of the Air Force safety teams and the hard work of the winners.

Maj Gen Frederick Roggero, the Air Force chief of safety, said the Air Force has many safety achievements to be proud of in 2009 including the safest year ever in aviation safety. The Air Force nuclear surety program was strengthened through functional-expert visits to field units, publication of the Nuclear Surety Bulletin and by providing deficiency analysis through quarterly Dull Sword reports.  Explosive Site safety planning improved significantly throughout the Air Force resulting in more than 950 sites approved in FY 2009.

Air Force Safety Award winners for 2009 are:

Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Safety Awards:

Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award, Category I - Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
AMC's mishap prevention program produced outstanding results in a number of areas. AMC had an outstanding FY09 winter safety campaign that focused on results, culminating in the first zero fatality winter period in seven years and producing the lowest Class A mishap rate for like periods in AMC history.

Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award, Category II - United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Academy's aggressive mishap prevention program saw an 83 percent off-duty fatality reduction from the FY02 baseline, and their summer campaign resulted in no cadet fatalities for the seventh year in a row.

Col Will L. Tubbs Memorial Award, Category I - AMC
AMCs best practices and strengths in key safety programs led to outstanding world class initiatives. The excellent use of trend analysis to identify command high interest areas and extensive oversight of mishap reports served as a benchmark for all MAJCOMs, greatly enhancing their traffic safety programs.

Col Will L. Tubbs Memorial Award, Category II - Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
Despite having a dynamic, fast-paced operations tempo, AFOTEC experienced only three on-duty military mishaps. In addition, the organization superbly managed the "101 Critical Days" campaign, resulting in no fatalities.

Maj Gen Benjamin Foulois Trophy - Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
AFSOC's exceptional flight safety mishap prevention program resulted in a zero Class-A rate. The command flew more than 80,000 wartime hours with remotely piloted aircraft, resulting in a Class-A rate of 5.38, which is lower than the Air Force rate of 8.96.

CSAF Individual Safety Award - Lt. Col. Christopher Stricklin, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
Colonel Stricklin led and managed flight, ground, and weapon safety programs for 3,000 personnel, including 20 essential safety personnel who provided over 3,120 annual hours of on-call service. As a direct result of his efforts, flight mishaps were reduced in nearly every category; down 50 percent in Class A, 70 percent in Class C, 44 percent in Class E, and 50 percent in Controlled Movement Area Violations.

Lt. Koren Kolligian Trophy - Lt. Col. Joseph Santucci, 99th Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
On Feb 12, 2009, during a U-2 aircraft training mission, Colonel Santucci encountered a runaway pitch trim emergency upon descent from above flight level 600. Hindered by his full pressure suit and the exhausting requirements of maintaining aircraft control amidst extreme flight control forces, Colonel Santucci was able to restore control of the nearly uncontrollable aircraft and then skillfully coordinate with his chase car pilot to safely recover the U-2 aircraft.

Colombian Trophy - 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan,
The wing had a most impressive year, flying more than 16,000 hours and 8,000 sorties with no Class A, B or C mishaps, an accomplishment that has only happened three times in 24-years of F-16 Fighting Falcon operations. Wing Airmen expertly handled more than 50 flight emergencies with no losses or damage and was the only F-16 wing in the Air Force without an aviation mishap.

SICOFAA Flight Safety Award - 6th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
The squadron set the standard for operational safety in FY09, flying and fighting on five continents without a Class A, B or C mishap, despite operating eight different aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing. The squadron safety office executed 365-day persistent engagements that directly impacted flight and ground operations in a volatile area of joint and combined exchange training programs.

Chief of Safety Awards

Safety Career Professional of the Year Award
Mr. Joe A. Joseph, 98th Range Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.

Air Force Nuclear Surety Outstanding Achievement Award
Senior Master Sgt. Julio Perez., 15th Munitions Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB Wyo.

Air Force Explosive Safety Outstanding Achievement Award
Master Sgt. Leslie Haga, Jr., 9th Air Force, Shaw AFB S.C.

Air Force Chief of Safety Outstanding Achievement Award for Ground Safety
Category I - 72nd Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB Okla.
Category II - 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
Category III - 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
Category IV - 732nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
Category V - 721 Aerial Port Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany

Air Force Chief of Safety Special Achievement Award
62nd Operations Group, McChord AFB, Wash.

Air Force Chief of Safety Aircrew of Distinction Award
Crew of Air Force Rescue 109 and Crew of Air Force Rescue 205, 48th FW, RAF Lakenheath, England

Air Force Chief of Safety Medical Achievement Award
366 Aerospace Medical Squadron Human Performance Team, 366th Medical Group, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho

Air Force Space Safety Outstanding Achievement Award
Lt. Col. Jeffrey Claxton, 30 Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.

Air Force Directed Energy Weapons Safety Outstanding Achievement Award
417th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, Calif.

Flight Safety Plaques

Air Combat Command
9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB Calif.
55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Neb.
55th Electronic Combat Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.

Air Education and Training Command
41st Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
45th Airlift Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss.
50th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
48th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
49th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
306th Flying Training Group, USAFA, Colo.

Air Force Materiel Command
416th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif

Air Force Reserve Command
446th Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
339th Flight Test Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga.
10th Flight Test Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.

Air Force Space Command
45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla.

Air Mobility Command
6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla.
19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
311th Airlift Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash.

Air National Guard
189th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.

Pacific Air Forces
35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska
33rd Rescue Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan

Air Force Special Operations Command
6th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
16th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
1st Special Operations Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan

United States Air Forces in Europe
86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England
493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England

Missile Safety Plaques

Category I

ACC
33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla
83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

AFMC
Air Armament Center Range Safety, Eglin AFB, Fla.

PACAF
18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan
8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea

USAFE
48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England

Category II

AFMC
Air Armament Center Range Safety, Eglin AFB, Fla.

AFSPC
30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif
90th Missile Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.

Explosives Safety Plaques

Category I

ACC
4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
9th Munitions Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.
388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
820th Red Horse, Nellis AFB, Nev.
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho

AETC
56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

AFSOC
1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt AFB, Fla.

AFSPC
45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla.
90th Missile Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.

AMC
87th Air Base Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash
60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
375th Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
43rd Airlift Wing, Pope AFB, N.C.

PACAF
18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan
51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, Korea

USAFE
31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy
48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England
52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England

CATEGORY II

AFMC
Air Armament Center Weapons Safety, Eglin AFB, Fla.

AFSOC
1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Hurlburt AFB Fla.

Nuclear Surety Plaques

Category I

ACC
509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.

AMC
62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.

AFMC
708th Nuclear Sustainment Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

AFSPC
741st Missile Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.

USAFE
704th Munitions Support Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
701st Munitions Support Squadron, Kleine Brogel AB, Belgium
703rd Munitions Support Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany

Ground Safety Plaques

AETC
17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

AFRC
315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.

ACC
33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.
388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah

AMC
305th Aerial Port Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
375th Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
721st Aerial Port Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
725th Air Mobility Squadron, Rota, Spain
727th Air Mobility Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, England
730th Air Mobility Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
734th Air Mobility Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam
92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
87th Air Base Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.

USAFE
86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England

PACAF
8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea
35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, Korea
354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska

AFSPC
45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla.