LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Annual awards ceremonies celebrating the hard work and dedication of their members are a military staple across the Department of Defense. However, the 47th Maintenance Directorate at Laughlin Air Force Base never had one until March 9, 2019, when they celebrated their very first of what is scheduled to be a recurring annual ceremony.
“We are a pretty lean civil service organization, our people work a lot of overtime and they put a lot of effort into getting aircraft rated, the T-1A Jayhawks in particular, the last couple of years after the hail damage they’ve had a really rough road to hoe,” Kopp said. “I think that a prestigious event like this is overdue for an outstanding team of maintainers.”
During the event as the nominees were announced and the winners declared, the attendees responded with cheers, noisemakers, sirens and air horns.
“For our first effort ever in the 30 years that we have been a civil service organization at Laughlin Air Force Base, I think it went outstanding,” said Rick Kopp, Deputy Director of Maintenance at the 47th Maintenance Directorate. “It was a great success.”
Guest speaking at the event was retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jim Kelly, former Director of Maintenance at the 47th Maintenance Directorate from April 2015 until Aug. 2017.
Also attending the event were students from the Del Rio High School Career and Technical Education program.
The program manager for the CTE program suggested bringing the students to the ceremony to gain a sense of comradery with some of the base and community members who they may be apprenticing or interning with as early as the summer of 2019, Kopp said.
The winners were:
Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Aircraft Maintenance technician: Jesus Arreola
Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Aircraft Maintenance manager: Ernesto Vazquez
Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Munitions technician: Rob Bautista
Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Munitions manager: David Wix
AETC Outstanding Maintenance Operations Support technician: Patricia Soto
AETC Outstanding Maintenance Operations Support manager: Tammy Davis
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year: Rogelio Rodriguez
“Back in the 1980s when Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez was at the Air Staff in charge of logistics and maintenance and supply, he created the Maintenance Professional of the Year program and the maintenance specialty badge,” Kopp said. “He understood that maintainers are out there every day regardless of the weather conditions and they’re launching aircraft and keeping things going.”