Laughlin XLer: Airman 1st Class Patrick Bova-Ruiz

Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas --

Unit and job title: 47th Communications Squadron fiber transport technician.

Why he XLed: Bova-Ruiz led the video teleconferencing project that converted legacy integrated switched digital network lines to internet protocol based equipment and increased line speed from 512 kilobits per second to 90 megabits per second. He installed three equipment safes that protected $1.2 million worth of network switches. He revamped the tool management program by creating an inventory checklist for $36,000 worth of tools. Lastly, Bova-Ruiz upgraded the non-secure internet protocol router network and increased speeds from 45 mbps to 90 mbps.