Arnold Airman receives award

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Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. --  An Arnold Airman has received a major command level award.

Tech. Sgt. Naomi Bullock, Public Health technician at Arnold's Medical Aid Station, has won the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)-level Public Health Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award.

At most Air Force bases, the public health technician would be responsible for the medical readiness status of all military personnel assigned to the installation, occupational health issues, community health and a range of other duties.

But at Arnold the public health technician has additional, yet unique duties. These include organizing and facilitating the commander's fitness program and writing the Disease Containment Plan, which is usually written by a seasoned medical doctor with preventative medicine experience. She is also responsible for overseeing Aerospace Testing Alliance's public health program.

Even though these additional duties sometimes put a strain on her day-to-day responsibilities, Sergeant Bullock is grateful for the opportunities to learn things outside her main job.

"I think being here at Arnold has prepared me to take on additional challenges because I was used to being a traditional public health technician and then I came here and it was so different from anything I had done before," she explained. "It's prepared me in the way that I'm not necessarily afraid to take on new things because I know I might stumble for a minute, but I will pick up the task, be able to perform it and do it well."

Her current supervisor, Master Sgt. Robert Louchery, explains why he feels Sergeant Bullock was recognized for this award.

"Tech. Sgt. Bullock carved her spot at Arnold from day one," Sergeant Louchery said. "Not only has she been instrumental to our operations in regards to public health concepts and training, but she has been the 'voice' of our Junior Force Council and the voice of all NCOs. That is what sets her apart from her peers; excellence at every turn and in every tasking she encounters."

This is Sergeant Bullock's first command-level award and she is excited about the opportunity she has to represent AFMC.

"There are sharp people in the public health career field," she said. "So I think to be able to be recognized amongst a group of people that are top-notch and, I feel really good about that. And I'm also happy that my public health leadership at AFMC thinks that somebody that comes from a base that many Public Health Technicians are not even aware exists, whose mission is so different, is the person that they want to represent them at the Air Force level."


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