Four Airmen vie for GEICO awards

  • Published
Four Airmen have been chosen to represent the Air Force to compete for the 2004 Government Employee Insurance Company Military Service Awards.

Their records will compete against other servicemembers in three categories: drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire prevention and safety, and traffic safety and traffic accident prevention.

Senior Airman Joseph Null will represent the Air Force in the drug and alcohol abuse prevention category. Airman Null is assigned to Yokota Air Base, Japan. He managed the crime prevention and Drug Abuse Resistance Education program there. He taught 500 hours of the program to 183 fifth-grade students. He also organized and led two ceremonies, which recognized each student's graduation from the program. Airman Null conducted numerous speaking events at four schools, reaching 1,200 students. Additionally, he instituted the program to 375 foreign students in Ecuador.

Senior Master Sgt. Charles Funkhouser will compete in the fire prevention and safety category. At Beale Air Force Base, Calif., Sergeant Funkhouser devised and executed the installation of more than 200 smoke detectors in one day. He trained and educated hundreds of local firefighters. He is credited for developing and implementing a sophisticated fire and rescue training simulator. Sergeant Funkhouser led numerous protection exercises involving various servicemembers from the Marines, Army and Air Force.

Master Sgt. Jon Ruiter, from Eglin AFB, Fla., will compete in the traffic safety and traffic accident prevention category. Sergeant Ruiter implemented and monitored more than 3,550 seatbelt inspections while tracking 84-plus squadron inspections. He also held a motorcycle inspection for assigned Airmen to keep them "road safe." Sergeant Ruiter initiated major changes to traffic flow to help guarantee future safe operations for all base Airmen. He also individually trained unit safety representatives to propagate his devotion to mishap-free vehicle operations. In his off-duty time, he manages the "commander's cab" program, giving Airmen a safe ride home.

Master Sgt. Kenneth Baldwin, from Luke AFB, Ariz., will compete in the traffic safety and traffic accident prevention category for reservists. Sergeant Baldwin conducted monthly local traffic safety training to more than 500 people in the last five years, resulting in zero accidents. He worked with both local law enforcement and emergency agencies and successfully trained and educated drivers between the ages of 18 and 35. As an active member of the Delaware Safe Kids coalition, he promoted bike safety awareness by sponsoring bike safety rodeos and distributing free helmets to people in military and civilian communities.