McIntosh earns Airman of the Year award

Published April 2, 2012
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- From the start of their military careers, Air Force recruits are taught the title "Airman" is earned and not given, making the honor of being named "Airman of the Year" all the more special to one of Grissom's own.

And, just as he earned the title of Airman in BMT, Senior Airman Justin McIntosh earned the title of 434th Air Refueling Wing Airman of the Year 2011 through hard work and dedication to his country, his service and himself.

Part of what set McIntosh, an aerial port journeyman with the 49th Aerial Port Flight here, at the top of the list for the annual award was his recent deployment to the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan.

During this deployment, which was his first, McIntosh was heavily involved a troop surge, where he helped move a record setting 55,000 personnel and over 4,200 short tons from around the world into Afghanistan.

"I'm not big into history, but as far as the surge went, that's the biggest one we've done, so it was great to be a part of that," explained McIntosh. "I got an insane amount of experience and it was really cool for my first deployment to be historic."

During the same deployment, the aerial porter was also involved with three Angel Missions, which are special transport missions that return fallen U.S. troops home.

"It was an honor to be part of them and bring them home," recalled McIntosh. "It was humbling to my core, knowing that life is so precious, and seeing somebody lay there life down for a bigger cause makes you think about what you really signed up for."

And, it is all of his deployment experiences that he credits for being able to do his job so well.

"I had just came out of (technical training) school, and it was all brand new, so it was the first time I really got hands-on with the job," he elaborated. "Getting my first deployment under my belt was rewarding and challenging at the same time."

That experience is what Master Sgt. Laurie Latchaw, 49th APF deputy superintendent, said has helped make McIntosh so invaluable to her unit.

"He works hard, and anything I have asked him to complete, he's completed ahead of schedule, or at the latest, on time," said Latchaw. "He definitely stands out amongst his peers.

"There's no hesitation with him," she added. "He's very effective -- he's a smooth operator."

That effectiveness is what also earned McIntosh the responsibility of managing the 49th APF flightline driving program, which he completely revamped according to his nomination package.

"As soon as I got back, they put me in charge of flightline driving training, which is critical to our job," explained McIntosh. "Because of my deployment, I was able to give those I trained a little more about what would be expected of them."

However, McIntosh wasn't awarded the honor just for his deployment and superior work ethic. Both his community involvement and his commitment to self improvement helped garner him the award.

McIntosh completed his military coursework two months ahead of schedule and is currently working on complete his Bachelor of Science degree along with a Community College of the Air Force degree and maintains a 3.7 grade point average.

"Life's all about learning," he explained about his commitment to education. "Life-long learning is the greatest thing anybody can do for themselves"

On top of all his military accomplishments, the Indianapolis native is also involved with both his Grissom and local communities. He frequently volunteered for Yellow Ribbon events on base and helped coach a local youth basketball team.

"I grew up playing basketball, and it was great for me," said McIntosh as he explained his desire to coach a team of his own. "It helped me grow up and kept me out of the streets, so I wanted to give back and help those guys."

Despite his numerous accomplishments, accolades and positions of responsibility, those who work closely with McIntosh said he has been able to stay grounded.

"He's a very humble and modest person," remarked Latchaw. "He doesn't say a whole lot, but he's a go-getter."

Maj. Michael Schaefer, 49th APF commander, agreed.

"McIntosh possesses a boundless initiative and drive that is seen through his professionalism and humble desire to learn from all situations," said Schaefer.

In keeping with his humble track record, when asked about what it meant to be awarded such a prestigious honor McIntosh turned the focus on to those with whom he served.

"It means a lot to me because it shows off the training others gave me," he said. "It shows off the guys above me and how good they are at training me."

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

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McIntosh earns Airman of the Year award

McIntosh earns Airman of the Year award

Public Affairs Staff