Intel officer lauded for communication, named Officer of the Year

Published April 30, 2012
By Maj. Kelly Howard
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Communication is often said to be the key to success and for one Grissom captain his skill in that area garnered him the 434th Air Refueling Wing Company Grade Officer of the Year award for 2011.

Capt. Kyle Knell, 434th Operations Group intelligence officer, was lauded throughout his award package for achievements including mobilizing for a deployment, completing his master of arts in religion, and leading fellow Airmen in Wingman Day training designed to bolster resiliency.

"He is a masterful communicator and leader," said Col. Christopher Amend, 434th Operations Group commander. "He had an impressive performance at Global Thunder 2011, running the quarterly awards program and in leading Wingman Day training."

Knell acted as the senior intelligence officer during his most recent deployment and was key to the success of Global Thunder, a joint world-wide exercise. During that exercise, he also devised numerous communication alternatives for use during war-time scenarios in a bare-base environment.

"[My deployment] was an extremely rewarding experience working with some of the Air Force and (United Kingdom's) Royal Air Force's finest," said the multi-service veteran who has served in the Marine Corps and Indiana Army Guard as well as the regular Air Force. "It was a busy deployment, and I functioned as a force protection and anti-terrorism officer as well as my normal Intelligence duties."

His deployment not only kept him busy, but also provided an invaluable service to U.S. and allied troops heading down range.

"The majority of my work was briefing C-17 pilots, Americans and British, keeping them up to date on threats and the geopolitical situation in theater as they flew missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom," Knell recalled.

On top of his operational success, the captain was also recognized for his ability to mentor and teach others.

Knell trained two new tanker survival and recovery team members to top-performance proficiency just one week before a wing-wide exercise.

Utilizing prior service experience, he also instructed his fellow intelligence shop members in navigation skills which improved critical intelligence proficiencies.

Knell was also lauded for broadening his own knowledge when he built and marshaled intelligence's cargo equipment in support of the base-wide exercise.

And though his job keeps him extremely busy, Knell said he keeps doing it because it's one of his passions.

"I love my job as an intel officer because it informs our people of threats to help keep them safe and make them aware of potential dangers wherever they may be serving," he explained. "One side benefit of my job is the opportunity to stay abreast of the world situation, but the part I enjoy most about my job is briefing, the actual sharing of information with people who need it, when they need it."

Outside of his normal Air Force duties, Knell's communication skills were again employed as a guest lecturer for a Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment at Michigan Technological University, where he contacted 800 prospective cadets and organized four career days.

His community involvement extends far beyond just lecturing as Knell works with several ministerial groups and a local Boy Scout troop, where he assists with leadership development and camping trips.

Despite his many accomplishments and accolades, Knell remains grounded in what he considers most important.

"I had two of my greatest achievements in 2011 -- I pastored Copper Country Bible Church in Hancock, Mich., where I live and secondly, I got to be a dad and husband," said the father of five. "I got to see my family grow, coach my kids' school soccer team, assist with Boy Scouts; this stuff is the opportunity that makes fatherhood so worth it."

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Airman and aircraft from the unit routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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Intel Airman named Officer of the Year

Intel officer lauded for communication, named Officer of the Year

Public Affairs Staff