USAFE-AFAFRICA Airman wins missile defense award

by Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs

4/11/2014 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany  -- The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance recognized Kenneth Dustin, 603rd Air and Space Operations Center senior ballistic missile defense program analyst, as an example of excellence during the first-ever European Missile Defender of the Year ceremony in Kaiserslautern, Germany, April 4.

Dustin was one of six people selected from multiple nations and service branches to be recognized for European missile defense during the ceremony, which took place on the 65th anniversary of the founding of NATO.

"I am truly humbled to have been selected for this award," he said. "It would not have been possible without the work by the folks responsible for ballistic missile defense operations in (U.S. Air Forces in Europe, U.S. Army in Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, and U.S. European Command) coming together as a cohesive team. I am honored to have been nominated by my peers and selected by my superiors to receive this award on behalf of USAFE."

Prior to his tenure as a program analyst, Dustin spent almost 28 years in the U.S. Army specializing in air and missile defense.

During his assignment at the 603rd AOC, he has been part of a select team that shaped and evaluated the first-ever Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course at the 505th Training Group. He has also led more than 50 conferences in the European missile defense community and built a training course to certify flag officers as Regional Air Defense Commanders.

For those reasons and more, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa leadership selected Dustin for the award.

Lt. Gen. Tom Jones, USAFE-AFAFRICA vice commander, who represented the command during the ceremony, emphasized the importance of the event.

"This was an outstanding event that recognized the critical nature of the ballistic missile defense mission and the superb men and women of NATO who accomplish it daily," he said. "I'm extremely grateful to Mr. Ellison and MDAA for pulling this together."

According to the MDAA's website, the European ceremony was the first international event, with four nations represented, and the 10th Missile Defender of the year event worldwide.