Maintenance Operations Center (MOC) Awards
Master Sergeant Ryan Taylor distinguished himself by outstanding achievement while assigned as Senior Maintenance Operations Liaison, 108th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, in support of combat operations at an undisclosed location. During this period, Master Sergeant Taylor's exceptional skills and dedication were instrumental in generating combat air superiority in direct support of Operation Epic Fury. Despite being in a contested environment and being personally exposed to ballistic missiles as Gideon Operator, he expertly managed critical radio traffic coordination with aircrew, ensuring positive aircraft launch capability, delivering vital aerial refueling to coalition forces engaged in combat. Master Sergeant Taylor's tireless efforts resulted in the generation and safe execution of more than 1,700 combat sorties, refueling over 5,000 aircraft, resulting in more than 13,000 Iranian targets struck, and an offload total of over 83,000,000 pounds of fuel, enabling combat aircraft to eliminate mission critical targets and sustain operations across the theater. His meticulous attention to detail and rapid coordination between aircrew and maintenance during more than 175 Alarm Red conditions ensuring positive aircraft launch, significantly enhancing mission effectiveness through combat readiness. The distinctive accomplishments of Master Sergeant Taylor reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Technical Sergeant Brandon C. Rojas distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as Maintenance Operations Center Section Chief, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 386th Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. During this period, in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, Sergeant Rojas led support of the AC-130 Maintenance Operations Center during a COVID-19 manning crisis. His team took over all functions for the AC-130 Maintenance Operations Center, without dropping a mission. Additionally, his team validated 43 status changes on five aircraft and aided the response of two in-flight emergencies, enabling the expenditure of 4,100 munitions and nine enemies killed in action. Further, he teamed with the Director of Operations to develop a solution for lost sorties and missions due to comm issues and created a pre-flight checklist, reducing MQ-9 diversions by fifty percent. Furthermore, Sergeant Rojas served as the Professional Development Coordinator for the base 5/6 Council and organized 12 professional development courses and revived a Rock University program, providing additional options for all Marauders to pursue education. Finally, Sergeant Rojas drove his section's continuous process improvement by creating a OneNote, consolidating five programs and boosting efficiency while supporting 16,000 combat hours, earning him Maintenance Operations Flight Non-Commissioned Officer of the Month. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Rojas reflect credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Staff Sergeant Wendell T. Gilliam distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Maintenance Operations Center Shift Lead, 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, 552nd Air Control Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. During this period, Sergeant Gilliam served as night shift lead for the Maintenance Operations Center in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and the Combined Defense of the Arabian Peninsula. He orchestrated over two hundred daily status briefings for the Commander, integrating contractor and active duty maintenance efforts, and relaying crucial equipment status for The Battle Command and Control System. Additionally, Sergeant Gilliam captured vital radar uptime data for forty seven sensors and relayed monthly data directly to the Combined Air Forces Commander, providing accurate Air Domain Awareness spanning over 1.5 million square miles. Furthermore, Sergeant Gilliam energized the Commander Critical Information Requirements reporting, providing leadership with immediate awareness of attack response actions for nine geographically separated units. Finally, Sergeant Gilliam's steadfast determination led to the identification and replacement of a faulty encryption device in a remote location, restoring five host nation radar feeds and providing 690,000 square miles of Battle Management Area Coverage. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Gilliam reflect credit upon himself, the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron and the United States Air Force.
Technical Sergeant Maurice H. Monroe distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Maintenance Operations Center Senior Controller, 6th Maintenance Group, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. During this period, the professional skill, leadership, and ceaseless efforts of Sergeant Monroe contributed to the effectiveness and success of the Maintenance Operations Center. He deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve where he controlled maintenance actions for over 30 aircraft and supported in excess of 1,500 sorties. In addition, Sergeant Monroe backfilled the crucial role of superintendent, leading a team of over 15 personnel through a critical nuclear readiness exercise. Furthermore, his efforts at Red Flag Alaska were vital to the success of 29 sorties alongside coalition forces, resulting in over 1.5 million pounds of fuel offloaded. Finally, his service as approving official for the purchase card program ensured the procurement of over 63,000 dollars worth of crucial deployment gear for deploying Airmen and was vital to mission success. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Monroe reflect credit upon himself, the 6th Maintenance Group, and the United States Air Force.
Technical Sergeant Nathaniel A Vallee distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Aerospace Ground Equipment Dispatch Section Leader, 354th Maintenance Group, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. During this period, Sergeant Vallee was selected as a Maintenance Operations Center Senior Coordinator where he was pivotal in coordinating tanker task force maintenance efforts that led to 23 sorties, 146 flying hours, and the transfer of 1.5 million pounds of fuel. Additionally, as an inspection section leader, he directed 420 periodic inspections, reduced maintenance tasks by 80 percent, and postured a one hundred percent mission capable rate five times. These unprecedented results led to the Aerospace Ground Equipment flight winning the 2008 Air Force Productivity and Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards, setting a new Pacific Air Forces standard as an Air Force "Best Practice" for 2008. Finally, his superior duty performance and exceptional attention to detail was showcased while managing the flight's three million dollar deicer fleet and synchronizing over 442 deicing missions. He spearheaded the research, procurement, and revision of deicing procedures for a new deicing glycol mix, extending aircraft deicing capabilities to negative 49 degrees. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Vallee reflect credit upon himself, the 354th Maintenance Group, and the United States Air Force.