CS dials up AMC awards

by Airman 1st Class Zachary Cacicia
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

12/16/2014 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The winners of the 2014 Air Mobility Command Information Dominance Annual Awards has been announced and there are three Team Dover winners.

The award winners are Maj. Steven Peña, 436th Communications Squadron commander, for Outstanding Cyberspace field grade officer, Senior Airman Zachary Roll, 436th Operations Support Squadron ground radar maintenance, for Outstanding Ground Radar Systems Airman, and Senior Airman Christopher Gonsalves, 436th OSS airfield systems maintenance, for Outstanding Airfield Systems Airman.

In a base-wide announcement, Col. Michael Grismer, 436th Airlift Wing commander praised the award winners.

"Please join me in congratulating the Team Dover recipients," said Grismer. "We are extremely proud of each nominee and send out our best wishes as these professionals go forward to represent AMC and Dover at the Air Force level competition."

Though being awarded an individual award, Peña, a native of San Dimas, California, remains humble and passes along all the credit to the Airmen within his squadron.

"To be honest, the only thing I can say is it is really not my doing, rather that of the squadron," said Peña. "They're the boots on the ground making great things happen every day; it's a reflection on the squadron and everything they do."

Roll and Gonsalves, who recently were transferred to the 436th OSS from the 436th CS, were under Peña's command during the period in which they won their awards.

"To me, it's no surprise they were elected for these," said Peña. "They both show technical expertise, professionalism and informal leadership with the squadron and within their respective shops."

Roll, a native of Denver, Colorado, is responsible for maintaining and repairing Dover AFB's radar systems. He was also humbled by winning the Outstanding Ground Radar Systems Airman award.

"No one person fixes the radar equipment," said Roll. "We are out there as a team working; this really should be a group award."

The Outstanding Airfield Systems Airman award, went to Gonsalves. The native of Moore, Oklahoma, said he wanted to also focus the credit for the award to his fellow Airmen.

"Honestly, it's more of a group effort between us," said Gonsalves. "I'm pretty honored about it, but it's really about what we did collectively as a group."

These three Team Dover Airmen will now go on to compete at the Air Force level for their award.