AMC recognizes Airman

by Nick DeCicco
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

7/3/2013 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Ask Airman 1st Class Scott Krause, 60th Maintenance Squadron avionics flight member, to talk about himself and the response is a quiet one.

Lacking boast or ego, the Air Mobility Command-level recipient of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.'s Senior Master Sgt. Margaret Barbour Frances Award is speechless about his accomplishments.

"I never thought I'd be in this position," Krause said.

But surely he's thought about what it would be like to win an Air Force-wide award, right?

"It hasn't crossed my mind yet," he said. "It's up to the judges."

The award is presented to an Airman ranked E-1 through E-6 who exhibits outstanding performance in professional and community service.

For his part, 24-year-old Krause's helps with Vacation Bible School, booster clubs, dorm council and coaching youth sports.

While Krause shows modesty, his supervisor, Master Sgt. Ronald Richards, 60th Maintenance Squadron avionics flight chief, was eager to sing his praises for him.

"If I had a whole shop full of him, I'd be in heaven," Richards said. "He'll volunteer for stuff. He just goes and does it and he doesn't want people to know."

Krause said that's an attribute that was taught to him at an early age.

"My dad instilled integrity," he said.

Richards said his actions demonstrate that value.

"If he sees something wrong in the shop, he brings it to my attention," Richards said. "He tries to better the shop."

Education is important to Krause, too. He earned a bachelor's degree in business from Carroll University, a private college based in his hometown of Waukesha, Wis. He's pursuing his master of business administration from Brandman University.

But as far as any attention or accolades, Krause does everything he can to deflect.

"In the grand scheme of things, I still haven't accomplished anything," Krause said. "It's not going to change who I am or who I see myself as. I'm not going to let it go to my head."

The award is named for Barbour, who served the Air Force for 27 years, including World War II. At the time of her retirement, she was one of the three top-ranking African-American enlisted women in her branch of the service, according to a 2010 obituary in the Newport News, Va., newspaper, The Daily Press. It is one of several annual awards the Tuskegee Airmen organization bestows.

Officials will announce the Air Force-level winners later this year. For more information, visit Tuskegeeairmen.org.