Cyber Transport Systems Technician
Cyber Transport Craftsman
Staff Sergeant Mark Lozada distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Cyber Transport Craftsman, 439th Communications Squadron, 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. During this period, Sergeant Lozada demonstrated exceptional technical expertise across multiple cyber operations, directly enhancing Department of War and partner network security. He contributed to a six-member team's seventh-place finish in the SANS NetWars Service Cup, defending simulated mission systems during capture-the-flag events while sharpening unit cybersecurity capabilities and resilience. Additionally, during the Georgia Department of Community Health Innovative Readiness Training, he executed a comprehensive vulnerability assessment and 40-user phishing simulation, identifying critical Active Directory, network, and web vulnerabilities that strengthened the partner's security posture. Further, Sergeant Lozada assisted the Guam Office of Technology, mapping $200,000 in data center infrastructure, implementing 802.1X access controls, and training five personnel on NetBox operations to enhance long-term cyber independence. Moreover, he coordinated the transport of 136 mission-critical IT assets and trained 15 infrastructure Airmen on call manager tactics, techniques, and procedures, directly enabling the successful execution of a six-month deployment. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Lozada reflect credit upon himself, the 439th Communications Squadron and the United States Air Force.
Director, Cyber Operations
For outstanding achievement in the performance of imaginary yet exhausting duties while serving in positions of unquestioned authority. Brigadier General Anderson distinguished himself through exceptionally consistent application of pressure, impossible timelines, and a tireless commitment to extracting additional productivity from already depleted personnel. Throughout this period, General Anderson demonstrated unparalleled skill in identifying tasks that were almost complete and immediately determining that they required revision, expansion, and delivery no later than close of business the previous day. His leadership ensured that no mission, no matter how minor, escaped transformation into a high-visibility, suspense-driven effort requiring weekends, holidays, and the suspension of basic human needs. General Anderson's relentless pursuit of "just one more thing" fostered an environment where speed was mandatory, rest was optional, and clarity was considered a luxury. His ability to demand excellence without defining success set a standard that will confuse subordinates for generations. Under his guidance, captains learned resilience, patience, and how to answer emails at 0200 using only caffeine and quiet resentment. The singularly exhausting efforts of Brigadier General Anderson reflect great credit upon himself, the Council of Captains, and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Operations Craftsman
Staff Sergeant Sage Eberly distinguished herself by outstanding achievement while serving as Cyber Transport Operations Craftsman, 174th Operations Support Squadron, 174th Attack Wing, Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, New York. During this period, Sergeant Eberly was a key player in maintaining network and communication architecture which supported the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft mission, enabling 909 combat sorties and over 16,450 Flying Hours in support with no time lost due to connectivity issues. In addition, she researched, designed, and implemented a critical secure server room environment monitoring tool, providing real-time alerts of temperature threats to equipment, eliminating downtime. Further, she led four Airmen in installing the equipment required for the Multi-Intelligence Smart Processing suite, enabling advanced capabilities for pilot and intel personnel. In addition, she established 30 accounts for the Smart Sensor test and facilitated a critical test by coordinating with 90 contractors, ensuring flawless execution and yielding results that advanced mission objectives and enhanced operational effectiveness. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Eberly reflect credit upon herself, the 174th Operations Support Squadron and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Supervisor
Technical Sergeant Kathryn L Kiel distinguished herself by meritorious service while serving as Cyber Transport Supervisor, 239th Combat Communications Squadron, 131st Bomb Wing, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. During this period, Sergeant Kiel made major contributions to the effectiveness and success of the European Deterrence Initiative, providing command, control, communications, and computer systems for air policing, field training exercises, and base defense, reinforcing the United States' commitment to European territorial sovereignty and propelling total force integration. Additionally, she led a four member Cyber Transport team during an advanced training exercise, configured 22 devices and crushed 20 expert level injects, effectively validating four unit training code packages for future deployments. Further, Sergeant Kiel's technical abilities were paramount during a F-16 Fighter Training Exercise in Monte Real, Portugal. She provided secure voice and data network capabilities, enabling bilateral training for 330 personnel and four partner nations. Her leadership and proactive engagement eradicated network instability while providing services to aircraft operations and maintenance teams, enabling the successful completion of 409 sorties and 519 flight hours during the multinational North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise. Finally, Sergeant Kiel devised Air Force Global Strike Command's first NC2 link, developed standard operating procedures and paved the way for future joint interoperability missions. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Kiel reflect credit upon herself, the 239th Combat Communications Squadron and the United States Air Force.
Plans Flight NCOIC
Master Sergeant Douglas W Songer distinguished himself by outstanding achievement while serving as Plans Flight Non-Commissioned Office In Charge, 239th Combat Communications Squadron, 131st Bomb Wing, St. Louis, Missouri. During this period, Sergeant Songer demonstrated unmatched professionalism in squadron and Wing leadership while serving as the lead communications planner for the 131st Bomb Wing's mass drill weekend. He evacuated 900 personnel to safety during a severe weather event, coordinated the Annual Training plan for 97 Airmen across 11 AFSCs, and volunteered to serve as Motorcycle Safety Rep, Green Dot Implementer, and Victim Advocate. In addition, he showcased his technical expertise while engineering networks for TOTAL FORCE RODEO 2019, enabling 12 Combat Communication Squadrons from Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve units nationwide to effectively train and work together. Further, he lead the Cyber Transportation Team during EXERCISE SLOVAK WARTHOG, enabling 78 NATO training sorties to be conducted with mission partners in Slovakia for the first time. Finally, he maintained three deployed Asset Inventory Management accounts, delivering seven fully functional UTCs to Air Combatant Commanders for world wide deployment. The distinctive accomplishments of Master Sergeant Songer reflect credit upon himself, the 239th Combat Communications Squadron, and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Craftsman
Staff Sergeant Ronald J Leigh distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Cyber Transport Craftsman, 332d Expeditionary Communications Squadron, 332d Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait. During this period, Sergeant Leigh was the unit's primary voice technician and was directly responsible for the unit's success during the largest tactical voice implementation since Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and the largest in the history of the Theater Deployable Communications program. He efficiently managed the base voice switch by meticulously maintaining and updating essential cable records for over 700 phones, producing switch utilization reports, and managing the installation and configuration of crash net phones to provide immediate communications for base emergency response. In addition, Sergeant Leigh maintained over 30,000 feet of voice and data cable, enabling over 500 Defense Switch Network (DSN) phones for 1,300 users in support of F-16 and F-18 aircraft sorties providing air support and convoy escort operations over Iraq during Operation New Dawn. Moreover, he tested and punched down over 200 phones on the base's Main Distribution Frame and trained multiple technicians on punch down procedures. Finally, he programmed over 30 NIPRnet and SIPRnet Cisco switches, enhancing the security and reliability of the network that serves over 900 users, including the 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and Navy VAQ-138 Electronic Attack Squadron. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Leigh reflect credit upon himself, the 332d Expeditionary Communications Squadron and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Journeyman
Staff Sergeant Mitchell A Johnson distinguished himself by outstanding achievement while assigned as Cyber Transport Journeyman, 776th Expeditonary Air Base Squadron, 449th Air Expeditionary Group, 435th Air Expeditionary Wing, Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti. During this period, while in support of Operation OCTAVE SHIELD, Sergeant Johnson supported 720 network systems and resolved more than 300 communications requirements, maintaining around the clock support for 1,100 joint warfighters. Additionally, he resolved a nine month chronic maintenance system outage, restoring control for 17 MQ-9 Reapers, valued at 387 million dollars. Further, Sergeant Johnson created a C4ISR network redundancy initiative, securing a multi-network collaboration with AFRICOM, enabling the transmission of classified intelligence data to signal analysts. Moreover, he deployed to Combined Security Location Simba, Republic of Kenya, to augment three Cyber Transport and Client Systems personnel, during a COVID-19 induced manning delay, returning operations to normal. Finally, Sergeant Johnson participated in the relocation of a tactical operations center, securing the Magogoni Airfield, and allowing emergency medevac missions across East Africa. The distinctive accomplishments of Airman Johnson reflect great credit upon himself, the 776th Expeditonary Air Base Squadron, and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Systems Technician
Senior Airman Kelly F. Reed distinguished herself by meritorious service while assigned as Cyber Transport Systems Technician, 319th Communications Squadron, 319th Mission Support Group, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota from XXXXXXXX to XXXXXXXX. During this period, Senior Airman Reed deployed for 180 days to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar where she relocated six major network devices supporting 113 data links, directly enabling over one thousand Joint Intel operations. Airman Reed's outstanding technical skills were instrumental in the standup of the Grand Forks High Frequency Global Command Station as she installed and tested 42 new circuits critical to the presidential support mission. Further, her networking experience was critical during site surveys and identified areas in need of upgrade during the six million dollar Combat Information Transport System infrastructure revision. Finally, Airman Reed spearheaded the design for the 1.6 million dollar Integrated Defense Sensor System, providing the Base Defense Operations Center base-wide perimeter visibility, as well as the Department of Defense Biometric Identification System, allowing identity card verification at multiple locations and greatly enhancing the Wing's security posture. The distinctive accomplishments of Senior Airman Reed reflect great credit upon herself, the 319th Communications Squadron and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Systems Technician
Staff Sergeant Scott A. Pershing distinguished himself by outstanding achievement while assigned as Cyber Transport Systems Technician Journeyman, 916th Force Support Squadron, 916th Mission Support Group, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina from XXXXXXXXX to XXXXXXXXX. During this period, Sergeant Pershing consistently demonstrated professional skill, decisive leadership and initiative in the continued success of the 916th Force Support Squadron. As a backup generator crew leader, he revised the generator operating instructions, diagrams, and user training criteria at 18 generator sites, reducing backup power problems by 50 percent. In addition, he trained 160 user agency personnel to ensure user competency and safety in operating mission critical facility generators. Further, he responded to a burnt transformer standby call and established generator power for base housing in less than two hours. Finally, Sergeant Pershing was a member of the BAK-12 aircraft barrier crew during Exercises AIR WARRIOR and AIR ADVERSARY and ensured tail-hooked equipped aircraft had a safe landing environment during in-flight emergencies, preventing the potential loss of both fighter aircraft and pilots. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Pershing reflect credit upon himself, the 916th Force Support Squadron, and the United States Air Force.
Cyber Transport Craftsman
Technical Sergeant Alexander D Price distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Cyber Transport Craftsman, 644th Combat Communications Squadron, 36th Contingency Response Group, 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. During this period, Sergeant Price's professional skill and leadership were key to ensuring the availability of 20 million dollars of Theater Deployable Communications equipment in support of Pacific Command's contingency operation plan. He maintained a meticulous inventory, identifying more than 800,000 dollars of equipment shortfalls and took immediate corrective actions, restoring the availability of four complete deployable communication kits. In addition, he led a five-member Global Hawk team in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, collecting 15,000 photos used in the capture of six hundred insurgents. Furthermore, during Exercise COPE TIGER, Sergeant Price led the expedited installation of 250 workstations and telephones, over 5,000 feet of cable, and 125 non-secure and secure terminals. His efforts facilitated the generation of 850 aircraft sorties and successfully trained nearly 2,700 joint force members. Finally, Sergeant Price's oversight of two equipment accounts with over two thousand assets worth six million dollars earned praise from the Inspector General team and helped the squadron earn an "Excellent" Compliance Inspection rating and recognition as the Pacific Air Force Lieutenant General Harold Grant Award winners as the best small communications unit of the year. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Price reflect credit upon himself, the 644th Combat Communications Squadron, and the United States Air Force.
