2021 Annual Award winners announced

  • Published
  • By Lauren Kelly
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 507th Air Refueling Wing here announced the winners of the 2021 507th ARW Annual Awards at the annual celebration April 30, 2022. 

Col. Michael Parks, 507th ARW commander, hosted the celebration at the Tinker Event Center on base, just 20 days before the 50th anniversary of the wing which will be celebrated May 20.

Mr. George Wallace, former Okie and F-105 Thunderchief pilot, was the guest speaker for the event. 

The live band, named Almost Yesterday and led by 507th Force Support Squadron commander Maj. Robin Simons, performed popular songs to celebrate the occasion. 

Wing community partners Jan Davis, branch manager of Moore TFCU and Kim Brown, president of the Moore Chamber of Commerce, attended the celebration to show their support for the wing’s star performers. 

The annual awards program recognizes individuals who excelled in performance and made outstanding contributions to the wing’s mission throughout the year. This year's winners:

Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Thomas Carlin, 465th Air Refueling Squadron

NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Justin Jarrett, 507th Security Forces Squadron

Senior NCO of the Year: Master Sgt. Grady Epperly, 507th Air Refueling Wing

Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Jose Barreto, 507th Logistics Readiness Squadron  

Civilian of the Year, Category I: Ms. Mary Vernon, 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron

Civilian of the Year, Category II: Ms. Audreann Wallace, 507th Force Support Squadron 

Spouse of the Year: Sheila Ratcliff, spouse of Maj. Jason Ratcliff, 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron

Individual unit awards were also announced at the banquet, by the respective leaders of each unit. The unit award winners:

507th Medical Squadron 2021 Combat Medic of the Year: 
Master Sgt. Heather Atherton

507th Security Forces Squadron 2021 Defender of the Year: 
Tech. Sgt. Kaleb Siah

507th Logistics Readiness Squadron 2021 Logistics Professional of the Year: 
Senior Airman Arielle Cunanan

507th Civil Engineer Squadron 2021 Civil Engineer of the Year:  
Tech. Sgt. Talisa Edmundson

507th Force Support Squadron 2021 Summit Award:
Senior Master Sgt. Michelle Patterson 

72nd Aerial Port Squadron 2021 Port Dawg of the Year: 
Master Sgt. Aaron Jones 

507th Maintenance Professional of the Year: 
Tech. Sgt. Stephen Crawford

507th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Heavy Hitter Award: 
Senior Airman Daniel McDowell

507th Maintenance Squadron MVP of the Year: 
Master Sgt. Emmanuel Barraza

The Tech. Sgt. Billy Hughes Memorial Award is presented annually to an individual in the maintenance group whose duty performance and everyday conduct best exemplifies the U.S. Air Force’s core values.
This award for exemplary enlisted service was instituted to commemorate the life of Tech. Sgt. Billy Hughes, a supervisory aircraft maintenance technician who passed away in active service at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, July 12, 1992, after a decade of honorable service to the wing.

The 2021 Tech. Sgt. Billy Hughes Memorial Award recipient: 
Senior Master Sgt. Wiley Warner