Hoosier Wing honors annual Award winners Published April 13, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Andrew McLaughlin 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Each year, time is set aside to honor Grissom Airmen who embody the Air Force's core values to the fullest extent through their actions and commitment to duty. The 434th Air Refueling Wing annual award winners for 2013 received their awards during a ceremony and banquet held here April 12. The guest speaker for the evening was retired Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Mercier, who spoke about learning from past mistakes in one's career and moving on to recover. As his way of advising the award winners and other Airmen in the audience, Mercier shared his own experiences both in the military and civilian world as examples where he experienced setbacks but was able to recover and get back on track. "Your future is about your ability to recover from mistakes," he said. Mercier compared military and civilian work life responsibility regarding pressure to perform and get results, and of the mindset he believed Airmen should have in order to not only be successful, but excel. "Stay on top of your game like you can be fired today," he said. In the midst of an evolving Air Force, Mercier also emphasized the need to accept and embrace change. "Look outside your normal paradigm for opportunities," he added. Brig. Gen. John Flournoy Jr., 4th Air Force commander, who presented the awards, congratulated the award winners for their accomplishments and told them to continue striving for excellence and inspiring others. "I challenge you to lead on," said Flournoy. The 434th ARW Annual Award winners for 2013 were: Airman of the Year - Senior Airman Kenneth Pinaire, 434th Civil Engineer Squadron fire protection apprentice NCO of the Year - Tech. Sgt. Christopher Bauchle, 434th CES fire protection journeyman Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year - Master Sgt. Rosalba Delapaz, 74th Air Refueling Squadron medical technician First Sergeant of the Year - Senior Master Sgt. Dean Regazzi, 434th CES first sergeant Officer of the year - 2nd Lt. John Pedro, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight commander Civilian of the Year - Mr. Terry Bodkin, 434th Security Forces Squadron police services manager Recruiter of the Year - Tech. Sgt. Constance Chapman, Air Force Reserve recruiter in Oak Lawn, Ill. The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives. Stay connected with Grissom and the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
