Balad Airman earns national air traffic control honors

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Josh Moshier
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  When the Air Traffic Control Association announced its annual air traffic control awards earlier this month, one of Balad AB's own was acknowledged.

Senior Airman Joshua Matias, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air traffic control apprentice, was named the 2006 ATCA Lingiam Odems Memorial Award winner.

The ATCA Lingiam Odems Memorial Award is presented to a military or civilian air traffic control specialist who in the previous year performed in an exemplary or extraordinary manner in support of military air traffic control facilities.

Airman Matias is three weeks into his second deployment to Balad AB. He was first deployed here from May through September 2005.

"He's an outstanding controller and Airman," said Senior Master Sgt. Garth Peterson, the 332nd EOSS control tower chief controller. "When we found out he won the award, we were ecstatic. Part of him winning was based on work he did right here."

While proud to have been recognized on a national level, Airman Matias remains focused on the business at hand.

"The recognition is nice," he said, "but I (gain fulfillment) knowing that at the end of the day, I contributed directly to the mission. Whether that means getting a fighter up in the air to drop bombs or bringing a cargo plane in with supplies, I know I had a part in that."