In-flight Refueling Awards
Instructor, KC-135 In-Flight Refueling
Staff Sergeant David Pridgeon distinguished himself by meritorious service while assigned to 92d Maintenance Squadron, 92d Maintenance Group, 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. During this period, Sergeant Pridgeon's dedication to his leadership role and his persistent efforts directly resulted in the training and qualification of the 141st ANG through in-flight refueling pod operations. His skill ensured the two year mission showcased a historic first in-flight refuel between a Russian made Royal Malaysian SU-30MKM attack aircraft and a U.S. KC-135. Additionally, Sergeant Pridgeon orchestrated a KC-10 refuel pod divestment program closely coordinating with the System Program Office and EATON for the repurposing of eight refueling pods. His actions awarded the KC-135 pod fleet over five hundred assets worth eight million dollars, crushing an eight month component backlog. Finally, Sergeant Pridgeon managed an eight member multi-AFSC team through pod to aircraft configuration training. His initiative enabled the members to directly enhance operations PROSPERITY GUARDIAN and SPARTAN SHIELD, providing refueling support for over three hundred F-16's and twelve French Rafale's defending against Hamas and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Pridgeon reflect credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Instructor In-Flight Refueler
Technical Sergeant Ronald S. Soperton distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Instructor In-Flight Refueler, 18th Air Refueling Squadron, 931st Air Refueling Group, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. During this period, Sergeant Soperton completed multiple tours of duty in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and contributed to the operational success of the 18th Air Refueling Squadron and the United States Air Force. He provided invaluable in-flight refueling training to 16 separate flying units. His expertise and systems knowledge of the KC-135R produced more than 30 fully qualified In-Flight Refuelers ranging from initial, re-qualification, and upgrade training. Additionally, as NCOIC of Mobility, Sergeant Soperton meticulously managed 48 separate mobility databases, contributing to one hundred percent deployment capability of 16 tanker crews. Finally, Sergeant Soperton's attention to detail and diligence were recognized by AFRC with an AFRC Safety "Well Done" award. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Soperton reflect credit upon himself, the 931st Air Refueling Group, and the United States Air Force.
KC-10 In-Flight Refueling Operator
Staff Sergeant David G. Wicks distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as KC-10 In-Flight Refueling Operator, 2d Air Refueling Squadron, 305th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. During this period, Sergeant Wicks offloaded 2.7 million pounds of aviation fuel to over 200 coalition aircraft in support of the Global War on Terror. He conducted emergency air refueling to fuel starved A-10s in deteriorating weather conditions and was pivotal to F-15E over-water deployment. In addition, as Unit Training Manager, Sergeant Wicks created an on-the-job training tracker which improved tracking accuracy and reduced members enrolled over nine months by 60 percent. He assigned over 900 training and flying events for 43 personnel, ensuring members maintained qualification and combat rediness. Moreover, he managed 2,300 training events for 25 boom operators, culminating in an unprecedented ninety-eight percent training completion rate. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Wicks reflect credit upon himself, the 2d Air Refueling Squadron and the United States Air Force.
In-flight Refueling Specialist
Staff Sergeant Cynthia A. Powell distinguished herself by outstanding achievement while serving as In-flight Refueling Specialist, 92nd Air Refueling Squadron, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. During this period, Sergeant Powell served as the training flight NCO and oversaw the continuation training requirements of 105 squadron members. She improved the squadron's training program by analyzing failures and developing and implementing a new folder review process, decreasing the review process by 20 percent. In addition, she executed the training flow plan for 18 aircrew upgrades. Further, as a boom operator, she efficiently managed five in-flight emergencies, two of which involved a total right side hydraulic failure. Her actions contributed to the safe recovery of the aircraft with no additional damage. Finally, she identified and corrected boom system malfunctions, eliminating seventy thousand dollars in divert costs. The distinctive accomplishments of Staff Sergeant Powell reflect credit upon herself, the 92nd Air Refueling Squadron, and the United States Air Force.
