ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Arnold Engineering Development Complex leadership honored military and civilian government annual award winners and nominees during a ceremony Feb. 11 at Arnold Air Force Base. The ceremony was also broadcast on Microsoft Teams, with the 704th Test Group also holding an in-person ceremony at their location.
The award recipients are:
- Maj. Bradley Breaux, Field Grade Officer of the Year
- 1st Lt. Christopher Kessel, Company Grade Officer of the Year
- Master Sgt. Oscar Vega, Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
- Tech. Sgt. Patrick Gibbs, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
- Staff Sgt. Rodrigo Noriega III, Airman of the Year
- Alexandra Wolfe, Civilian Category I
- Wesley Patterson, Civilian Category II
- Lee Powell, Civilian Category III
- Molly Oates, Non-appropriated Fund Civilian Category I
- Eric Hopp, Non-appropriated Fund Civilian Category II
- CAF Modernization Team – Annual Exceptional Innovator
This team consists of: Steve Arnold, Seth Beaman, 1st Lt. Ryan Blount, Jeff Chandler, Rich Darago, Capt. Bryan Gatzke, Bryon Harrington, Tyler Holes, Eugene Klingensmith, 1st Lt. Greg Landrum, 2nd Lt. Paul McCormack, Ron Munn, Joel Nalin, Nicole Prieto, Lewis Pumpelly, Jillian Sears, Justin Thomas and Josh Tuckey.
- 16S High Mach TACAIR Team – Annual AEDC Technical Achievement Award
This team consists of: Lt. Col. Wesly Anderson, Mark Andrews, Lance Baxter, Troy Bisby, Marcus Conner, Adam Fanning, Barrett Guenthoer, Ben Holton, Mike Lazalier, Ron Lutz, Tyler McCamey, Lt. Col. John McShane, Josh Meeks, Scott Meredith, Melissa Minter, Ben Mills, Kristyn Nivins, Nathan Payne, Rebecca Rought, Calain Schuman, Josh Webb and Joe Wehrmeyer.
Members of the Contracting team that supports AEDC, known as AFTC/PZ Arnold, which won AFTC Contracting annual awards for fiscal year 2020, were also recognized during the event.
Those award recipients are:
- Christopher Fanning, Outstanding Civilian in Enterprise Contracting (Supervisory)
- Randy Wroten, Outstanding Directorate of Contracting, Civilian Category II
- Test Operation and Sustainment Team, Outstanding Enterprise Contracting Unit, Small
The 2021 AEDC winner of the Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Award, Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Romero, was also recognized during the ceremony. He has won at the Air Force Test Center level and is now competing at the Air Force Materiel Command level.