Unlike many Northwest natives, Tech Sgt. Roeland Wielinga has never been to the Puyallup Fair. And when he arrives, it won't be just for the tasty fried foods or thrill rides.

Wielinga, along with a small host of other civic duty officers, will be presented the Outstanding Service Award on Sept. 11 at the Puyallup Fair during the annual "America Remembers" 9/11 Memorial Concert.

The 9/11 Memorial Concert at The Puyallup Fair is a choir and brass program enhanced by additional performers for variety.  The concert serves as a platform to present Outstanding Service Awards to selected police, fire, and military personnel as nominated by commanding officers.

The 34-year-old Austin, Texas, native was selected by his commanding officer and will represent Joint Base Lewis-McChord as a distinguished Servicemember of the region.

"I'm pretty excited about it," said Wielinga who was recently promoted to flying crew chief manager of the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at McChord Field. "I'm just one person and there are so many people doing so much together at one time. I'd like to represent all of us."

Wielinga was in active-duty when 9/11 struck. He was on assignment to conduct refueling operations for KC-135s so they could enter combat zones. He still holds 9/11 close to his heart.

"Because of my age and what I was doing in my life, it ranks very high up there," he said. "It's a very big moment for myself. As soon as it happened, I went out there to do my part."

In 2011, he landed his biggest accolade since entering the military in 1997. He was named Crew Chief of the Year for Air Mobility Command. The Air Force Association recognizes the crew chief with the most significant contribution to the Air Force's operational mission. Base-level military and civil service aircraft crew chiefs, regardless of AFSC, are eligible for the award.

It was an amazing accomplishment and a key reason why he earned the special nomination, he said.

Wielinga's passion for the Air Force started at an early age. Rather than work in a sawmill after growing up and attending high school in Corydon, Indiana, Wielinga wanted to do something better in life. That's when he decided to enlist in the Air Force.

He followed in his father's footsteps, Roel Wielinga, and began an Air Force career that began with airplane mechanics. He first started learning about KC 135s. Stationed at McChord since 2008, he's now a crew manager in the 62nd AMXS for C-17 Globemasters. He's been stationed at several different military installations, including Fairchild Air Force Base in eastern Washington and McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kan.

The move to enter the military was encouraged by his father, who retired from the military as a technical sergeant in 1991.

"I talked with my father and asked him about it and he said he loved the Air Force and what it did in his life," Wielinga said. "He said he'd do it again if he had the opportunity. "

Now the younger Wielinga is the one who holds a unique opportunity next month when he's presented a special award for his positive contributions as a delegated Airman at JBLM.

The "America Remembers" 9/11 Memorial Concert starts at 6:30 p.m. on the Coca Cola Stage at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup.

Photo: Tech Sgt. Roeland Wielinga, an Airman in the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at McChord Field, will be presented the Outstanding Service Award on Sept. 11 at the Puyallup Fair during the annual “America Remembers” 9/11 Memorial Concert.