Ward named 4th AF Firefighter of the Year Published April 25, 2008 By Senior Airman Chris Bolen 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. Nicolas Ward, of Joliet Ill., was recently named 4th Air Force Firefighter of the Year. Sergeant Ward is a fire protection specialist with the 434th Civil Engineers Squadron, and has eight years of service in the Air Force Reserve. Sergeant Ward is a fire fighter with the Frankfort Ill. fire protection district. "I am very excited about the award," the sergeant said. However, he gives much of the credit to his supervision. "It shows a testament to the leadership at Grissom," he continued. "It's the skills I learned at Grissom from Chief Master Sgt. David Sajdyk, Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Groszek, and Tech. Sgt. Aaron Dehner," he emphasized. "Their leadership helped my career get where it is today." Also notable among Sergeant Ward's accomplishments is receipt of the Air Force Achievement Medal during a six month deployment to Southwest Asia. He received the award as a result of his actions during crash recovery of a downed helicopter. "I am proud to represent the 434th Air Refueling Wing, and I hope this will bring the wing much deserved attention," he proudly stated. The 4th Air Force award now puts him in line for the Air Force Reserve Command Firefighter of the Year Award to be announced later this year.
