Gaffney is NCO of the Year Published Dec. 2, 2006 By Senior Airman Chris Bolen 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- Air Force Reserve Tech Sgt. Drennen J. Gaffney, of Portage, Ind., was recently named Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the 434th Air Refueling Wing.Sergeant Gaffney, is a boom operator with the 74th Air Refueling Squadron at Grissom, with over 16 years of military service. The NCO of the Year Award is given to service members who demonstrate exceptional expertise, professionalism, and advanced skills in their jobs, while supporting the mission of the Air Force Reserve Command. Finalists are previous winners of the NCO of the Quarter Award, who under go further screening, and appear before a panel made up of the senior NCO leadership from all organizations on base. Sergeant Gaffney was previously named NCO of the Quarter for the 2nd quarter of 2006. However this latest award caught him off guard. "It surprised me, I didn't expect it," he commented. Among Sergeant Gaffney's notable achievements was development of a computer program that streamlined critical training for aircrews and allowed them to study on-line via the internet. "I wrote a program that is utilized by Grissom pilots and boomers to prepare for recurring test requirements," he explained. The program condenses a large quantity of data from a number of databases allowing for quicker, more effective review.After the sergeant loaded the program on the web he discovered it is not only a hit with Grissom aircrews, but also has found a much wider audience. Upon reviewing the programs usage on the web Sergeant Gaffney discovered that not only were aircrews from other parts of the United States and Alaska using it, but aircrews across the globe are also using it "It appears that this was a strong point of recognition for me," Sergeant Gaffney noted.In his civilian occupation, he is a senior consultant with Aetna Insurance in Chicago, Ill.
