12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year named
Senior Master Sgt. Mary Bechdel, a former intelligence operations superintendent with the 13th Intelligence Squadron at Beale AFB, Calif., managed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imaging for six combatant commands by leading 380 Airman in 24/7 operations using the Distributed Common Ground System-2. The 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year are selected based on superior leadership, job performance, significant self-improvement/ personal achievements and base/community involvement. The Air Force Chief of Staff reviews the selections. The selections for the 2009 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year were announced July 2 by Air Force officials at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo)