AFA honors Air National Guard members

by Staff Sgt. John E. Hillier
Air National Guard Readiness Center

6/3/2015 - JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- The Air Force Association's D.W. Steele Sr. Memorial Chapter hosted the 13th Annual AFA Salute to the Air National Guard recognizing personnel assigned to the National Guard Bureau during a ceremony June 1 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

This year, the AFA honored 16 members of the ANG staff across a broad range of specialties for their dedication and outstanding contributions of the success of the ANG and the overall Air Force mission.

The members honored were:

· Senior Master Sgt. Adrianne Schulz, office of the director of the ANG
· Julia Deck, command staff
· Lt. Col. Kenneth Lozano, National Guard Bureau
· Master Sgt. Damaris Cannon, financial management
· Darryl Ford, safety
· Lt. Col. Stephanie Nelson, office of the Air Surgeon
· Master Sgt. Robin Obst, office of the chaplain
· Master Sgt. Alicia Archie, human resources
· Master Sgt. Erika Rabidoux, manpower, personnel and services
· Maj. David Hewlett, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance
· Senior Master Sgt. Jennie Aruda, air, space and information operations
· JoLynn Uplinger, logistics
· Maj. Benjamin Califf, plans and requirements
· Matthew Tarry, communications
· Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Coles, installations and mission support
· Lt. Col. Donne Kang, analysis and assessment

"Our honorees tonight support the 105,400 members of the Air National Guard and what they do globally and at home," said Lt. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke III, director of the Air National Guard. "I'm very proud of what they do day in and day out."

Clarke went on to discuss the wide variety of missions the ANG accomplishes across the world within a typical day, and the vital role that Air National Guard Readiness Center staff play in supporting them.

"The ones who are being recognized tonight are the ones who make that [support] happen," said Clarke. "All the policy, resource allocation, all the packages - they're the grease that makes it all work, along with the Air Force."

The AFA is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association that promotes a dominant Air Force and a strong national defense, and honors Airmen and our Air Force heritage.