Captain one of 10 outstanding young Americans

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Beverly Isik
  • 116th Air Control Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  A captain with the 116th Air Control Wing here is one of the 10 Outstanding Young Americans for 2005 chosen by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Capt. Paul Maykish received the award during the Jaycees’ 67th annual black-tie awards ceremony held at the Boston World Trade Center Sept. 17.

The captain received the honor for his contributions to social improvement of major contemporary problems, government service and moral and religious leadership.

“There’s no honor in seeking your own honor,” said Captain Maykish, who is the wing executive officer and the air battle management training flight commander for the Joint STARS ground surveillance aircraft here. “I don’t have a single photo of the things I’ve done for this award. I prefer to keep it that way.”

Before entering the Air Force, the New Jersey-native said devoted himself to various causes.

Captain Maykish was the Smart Wood Program coordinator for the Rain Forest Alliance, developing social criteria for verifying if tropical lumber companies were treating their people right. This is an international social justice program still in place today. While working on his master’s degree in community development at Yale University, he taught in three different departments at the Ivy League university. He also has a Stanford University certification in advanced project management.

Before joining the Air Force, the captain also served as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program to expand a North-South Hemisphere Urban Problems Council where mayors could exchange best practices on fighting urban problems.

The captain continues his 16 consecutive years of volunteer work in prisons. To help rehabilitate inmates before release, he taught Bible-based life skills courses in four states, including maximum security facilities. He also performed homeless outreach.

Submitted for the award in December 2004, the captain had all but forgotten about the nomination and his selection shocked him.

“I really didn’t know the scope of it (the award) at that time,” he said. “I never really thought about it.”

He gives much of the credit for his selection to the commander who nominated him, the chief of staff who wrote the package and the executive officer who followed it through the lengthy submission process.

“If you take either of them out of the equation, nobody even knows I exist,” the captain said. “I took care of the mission and they took care of me. They’re a picture of how the Air Force is supposed to be.”

Captain Maykish also attributes much of his success to his coworkers in the 330th Combat Training Squadron. He said the instructors there “are a part of me, and a part of any recognition I receive because they deposited excellence into my life.”