Expeditor Citations

NCOIC, Fighter Generation Squadron

Technical Sergeant Benjamin L Boyette distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as Aircraft Section Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge, 555th Fighter Generation Squadron, 31st Maintenance Group, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. During this period, Sergeant Boyette was selected to deploy for Operation SPARTAN SHIELD with less than two weeks' notice and assumed the Air Tasking Order within 48 hours of arrival, leading to 4,000 combat hours. He enabled the demonstration of the F-16's tactical Integrated Combat Turn capabilities for the Qatari Air Force Chief of Staff which improved joint deterrence and diplomacy in the area of responsibility. Moreover, he assumed expeditor duties for the Focus Maintenance program, overseeing members from four Air Force Specialty Codes, culminating in the completion of 155 scheduled maintenance tasks over a six month period and enabling a 99% maintenance scheduling effectiveness rate and a 70% increase in aircraft availability. Further, during a red-ball response, he identified a damaged hydraulic switch and removed and replaced the part within 20 minutes, ensuring an on-time ATO sortie which expended five GBUs in defense of a convoy. Finally, Sergeant Boyette was temporarily assigned to Royal Air Force base Lakenheath to lead a 36 member team for a live fire missile exercise which lead to the accomplishment of 31 sorties and a 100% release rate, securing the United States Air Forces in Europe Team of the Year for the first time in 14 years. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Boyette reflect credit upon himself, the 555th Fighter Generation Squadron, and the United States Air Force.

Expeditor, Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

Master Sergeant Brandon L. Thomas distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as Expeditor, 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from 11 August 2024 to 23 February 2025. During this period, Sergeant Thomas' vigilance and meticulous oversight of 197 pre-flight and thru-flight inspections achieved a flawless zero-defect rate, ensuring one hundred percent mission success and bolstering air operations safety across the Pacific theater. His expert management of aircraft maintenance, including directing 112 aircraft washes, slashed turnaround times by an unprecedented 33 percent, significantly enhancing fleet readiness. Additionally, his leadership was instrumental in the execution of 188 sorties, 27 TDYs, and 644 flight hours, offloading over one million pounds of fuel to 88 receivers, while enabling 12 critical coronets supporting multiple aircraft deployments and redeployments. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Thomas reflect great credit upon himself, the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Expeditor, Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

Staff Sergeant Carl S. Buchanon distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as Expeditor, 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 763rd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. During this period, Sergeant Buchanon led the maintenance efforts of the night shift maintenance team for deployed RIVET JOINT aircraft, generating over 180 combat sorties and culminating in over 2,000 flying hours. Building on his success, the unit aided 18 troops in contact and passed on over one thousand enemy locations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Additionally, Sergeant Buchanon identified a grounding rudder accumulator panel crack and coordinated engineering technical assistance that facilitated a permanent repair that returned the aircraft to combat operations six days ahead of schedule. Finally, his technical skill proved pivotal when he orchestrated and completed an in-depth 900-hour inspection eight hours ahead of schedule, propelling his unit to a stellar 100 percent mission effectiveness rating for a record setting 17 days straight and garnering himself recognition as the 763rd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit NCO of the Month. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Buchanon reflect credit upon himself, the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Expeditor, Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

Master Sergeant Kaleb J. Lewis distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Expeditor, 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. During this period, Sergeant Lewis oversaw critical missions as lead crew chief during two TDY coronets and facilitated the successful F-22 redeployment to Kadena and A-10 redeployment from the Philippines, achieving a remarkable increase in operational efficiency and bolstering tactical response capabilities across the Pacific theater. In addition, he supported 124 sorties, 29 TDYs, 698 flight hours, and 2.5 million pounds offloaded to 120 receivers. Further, he enabled 18 coronets supporting F-16 depot input, F-22 redeployment from Australia, A-10 redeployment from Thailand, F-22 deployment to Kadena, and F-35B redeployment. Finally, he postured every flyable tail on the island for 72 hours of alert to intercept adversary aircraft entering the Okinawa and Guam Air Defense Identification Zones. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Lewis reflect credit upon himself, the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, and the United States Air Force.