JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD -The Air Mobility Community and Airlift/Tanker Association brought together airmen and senior leaders Nov. 9-11 in Grapevine, Texas, to recognize Air Mobility Command's top performers and encourage professional development. 

The ATA manages several recognition programs, including the Outstanding Aircrew Member Award, the Young Leadership Award and more. Team McChord airmen won multiple awards, representing the units' dedication to excellence in supporting the global airlift mission.  

AMC commander, Gen. Mike Minihan, presented air medals and meritorious service medals to the airmen of McChord for their actions during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation.  

"When you look at the now famous pictures of C-17s fully loaded with Afghan civilians you can't see what's happening in the back ... you had two or three Americans, often freshly out of high school, in charge of this extremely chaotic situation," said U.S. Air Force Col. Sergio Anaya, 62d Airlift Wing commander. "Their dedication to aiding others in the face of challenging circumstances will forever be a part of our?wing's storied history."  

Additionally, the 62d AW tied for 1st place in AMC's Mission Execution Excellence Program (MEEP) through rebates and fuel-efficient flying and was awarded $1.9 million. The 7th Airlift Squadron tied for first place in the unit-specific category and netted $600,000 of the overall award due their well-planned missions and local trainings.  

"This type of victory was completely dependent on the airman, leadership and the encouragement of this program," said Ben Walker, JBLM MEEP liaison. "We do offer incentives for flying efficiently, but our end goal is to ensure our aircrews understand that fuel isn't a guaranteed commodity. It is a precious resource that is going to vastly determine the outcome of any kind of near-peer conflict." 

This money will be distributed to the 62d AW in fiscal year 24 as Operation and Maintenance funds to benefit the airmen of Team McChord by supporting readiness and today's global airlift mission executing today's global airlift mission. 

The airmen who received Air Medals with combat device or Meritorious Service Medals at the conference are the following: 

• Staff Sgt. Todd Adams, 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
• Capt. Dylan Bishop, 7th Airlift Squadron
• Lt. Col. Nicholas Disney, 8th Airlift Squadron
• Tech. Sgt. Colby Hatchell, 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
• Senior Airman Kurtavius Jenkins, 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron
• Capt. Dillon Simmons, 62d Operations Support Squadron
• Capt. Toro Robert, 8th Airlift Squadron
• Tech. Sgt. James Trevizo, 446th Security Forces Squadron

AMC Level Award Recipients: 

• Capt. Lindsey Locke, 7th Airlift Squadron, Air Mobility Liaison Officer of the Year
• Capt. Joey Carl, 7th Airlift Squadron, 2023 General Robert "Dutch" Huyser Award