Air Force civilians win presidential rank awards

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) --  Several Air Force civilians were presented the 2006 Presidential Rank Awards here in a ceremony held April 20 in the Women's Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.

The President of the United States annually awards distinguished and meritorious ranks to career members of the senior executive service, senior leader and scientific and professional government employees.

"Today's award winners embody the service and excellence called for in our Air Force core values," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne. "They have not only shown their characters by choosing to serve their country, but have risen to such great heights that they are being recognized with awards from President George W. Bush."

The awards covered a variety of functional expertise, from acquisition, science and technology to budget, services and legal operations. Other areas included: operations, logistics and warfighting integration; information, operations and space and missile systems; installations and environmental programs.

"[The award winners] have excelled under extraordinary circumstances," said Secretary Wynne, "where our circumstances around the world - in both war zones and disaster areas -- have surged to unprecedented levels."

The stipend of these awards is 35 percent of the winner's base pay for distinguished rank and 20 percent of base pay for meritorious rank.
The following are meritorious rank winners:

Michael Aimone: He co-led the deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support Combat Support Center during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Noble Freedom. In this important capacity, he monitored the daily activities of 18,000 personnel at 13 deployed locations who produced more than 70,000 combat sorties and dropped 9,500 tons of munitions.

Robert Arnold: As a technical advisor with the 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., he has served on and contributed heavily to multiple Air Force level panels, test and evaluation forums and range commander council.

Steven Butler: In both the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the United States Air Force, Mr. Butler enhanced the vitality of our nation's prized air and space system processes, the foundational scientific and engineering workforce.

Kenneth Callicutt: In the Air Force Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Center, he has been the driving force behind numerous national-level engagement strategies, setting plans in place to draw down legacy nuclear forces while seamlessly implementing kinetic and non-kinetic weapons that will achieve effects based results on the battlefields of the future.

Harry Disbrow: As the assistant director, operational capability requirements, Mr. Disbrow authored and streamlined the USAF capabilities-based requirements development process.

Frances Duntz: Her leadership and business acumen have created "the way ahead" for Electronics System Command and Air Force Materiel Command in many instances.

Jer Donald Get: This executive director of the Air Intelligence Agency in San Antonio Texas, understood of the agency's mission was instrumental in preparing the Air Intelligence Agency to meet current and future Air Force, national intelligence, and security requirements.

Richard Hardy: The senior space experimentalist at the Air Force Research Laboratory was awarded Meritorious Senior Professional Rank for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of space science and technology toward maintaining and enhancing the preeminent position of the United States and in providing critical new space capabilities to the nation.

Richard Hartley: As the deputy assistant secretary of Cost and Economics, his work across the Air Force financial management community has enabled the Air Force to implement programs to achieve strategic goals in accordance with the President's Management Agenda.

Jacquline Henningsen: As director of Air Force Studies and Analyses Agency, she demonstrated true leadership and vision in meeting the chief of staff of the Air Force's mandate to ensure senior leadership decisions on critical issues were fireproofed with defendable, gold standard quality analyses.

Paul McManamon: Awarded the Meritorious Senior Professional Rank Award for his dynamic and visionary leadership in the development of sensor and countermeasure technology for the Air Force, and for his international leadership of the optical engineering community. He has been elected as president of the International Society for Optical Engineering.

Daniel McMillin: Serving as the director, of Policy, Planning, and Resources, Headquarters United States Air Force, he contributed to the nation's defense by providing exceptional leadership to balance the Secretary of Defense's Quadrennial Defense Review, the Base Realignment and Closure, and the Air Force's vision of transformation.

David O'Brien: As the chief scientist at Det. 41 in Cocoa, Fla., he led the way to dramatic improvements in the verification of nuclear weapons test monitoring and test ban treaty verification, both at the national and international levels. His innovative foresight and achievements in both national and international cooperation have provided key technical foundations for the United States and the Department of Defense to monitor the world for the testing of nuclear weapons and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Thomas Robillard: His efforts were recognized when he was awarded the Air Force Acquisition Transformation and Leadership Award for Outstanding Air Force System Program Director. Mr. Robillard was able to make great strides in transitioning to agile acquisitions and delivered operational weapons to the warfighter.

Mr David Tillotson: Serving as the deputy chief of warfighting integration and the deputy chief information officer, he contributed immensely to the nation's defense by shaping the strategic direction for Air Force information technology transformation.

Charlie Williams: Serving as the deputy assistant secretary (contracting), assistant secretary (acquisition), he enabled the AF to develop into an expeditionary force by restructuring the contingency contracting officer force to improve operational support to the AF and joint warfighter, allowing the DOD to meet the National Security needs in the 21st Century.

The following are distinguished rank winners:

William Baker: He chairs the Department of Defense Reliance Panel For Directed Energy Weapons and coordinates all directed energy technology development in the DOD and is the nation's most inspirational and innovative technical leader in the research and development of directed energy weapons

Roger Blanchard: He serves as assistant deputy chief of staff for Personnel, Headquarters United States Air Force. He plans, establishes and directs Air Force operating policies and programs, strategic planning and budget development and execution for manpower and personnel programs worth more than $30 billion affecting more than 440,000 military and civilian personnel.

Timothy Dues: He serves as deputy director for Maintenance, Directorate for Logistics and Sustainment, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command. He is responsible for the depot maintenance and overhaul of the entire fleet of aircraft, engines and commodities conducted at the command's three air logistics centers. He is the functional manager for policy and procedures for workload planning, infrastructure management, production processes, and inter-service agreements, with a budget of more than $6 billion and a workforce of more than 20,000.

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