Muncy Honored With Second Highest Private Citizen Award

by Col. Nahaku A. McFadden
National Guard Bureau

10/10/2012 - WASHINGTON (10/10/12) -- Three decades of selfless service to Airmen and their families recently earned Monique L. Muncy the prestigious Chief of Staff of the Air Force Award for Exceptional Public Service at a luncheon at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, DC, Sept. 20.

As the wife of recently retired Chief Master Sgt. Christopher E. Muncy, command chief of the Air National Guard, Monique Muncy dedicated herself for more than 30 years to improving the lives of Air National Guard Airmen and their families.

The CSAF for Exceptional Public Service award, according to the citation, is given to those who exhibit "dedication, patriotism and personal sacrifice resulting in significant contributions to the Air Force." Since 2007, there have only been nine awarded with this being the first Air National Guard nomination.

"I'm in my 41st year of serving and I have never presented this particular award. It is that rare," said Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt, III, director of the Air National Guard, who presented the award.

Muncy's influence began as an Ohio Air National Guard member. She served for 20 years and retired as a Tech. Sgt. in 2001. A graduate of Miami University, Ohio, and the Community College of the Air Force, she is a former Airman Leadership School and Non-Commissioned Officer Academy instructor.

In the early 1990s, she was instrumental in establishing the first Family Support Group for the 269th Combat Communications Squadron and the 251st Combat Communications Group based at Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio. Despite frequent deployments, the support group was credited with keeping families connected during the separations.

Always an innovator, Muncy recognized a need for family advocacy after attending a National Conference at the White House sponsored by first lady Michelle Obama. Inspired, Muncy designed and produced the first Air National Guard Family Guide. It's a comprehensive guide that addresses topics from life in the Air National Guard to managing deployments. Based on her military and personal experience as a spouse and parent of deployed Airmen, she knew what information spouses, parents and children of deploying service members needed.

Muncy honed her family advocacy skills while working for the Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She currently serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Chair of the English Department for Cedarville University, Ohio.

"This is a very difficult award to get approved, but it was worth it." Wyatt added.