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Whiteman Sijan award winners announced

  • Published
  • By Heidi Hunt
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The 509th Bomb Wing commander, Brig. Gen Robert Wheeler presented four Whiteman Airmen with the 2010 Lance P. Sijan United States Air Force Leadership Award July 7.

This award recognizes the accomplishments of officers and enlisted members who have demonstrated the highest quality of leadership in the performance of their duties and their personal lives.

Winner recipients were Maj. Jason Horton, 509th Operations Support Squadron; Capt. Wilburn Poe, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Senior Master Sgt. Richard Stiles, 509th Force Support Squadron; and Staff Sgt. Morgan Quijano, 509th Medical Support Squadron.

"These Airmen have displayed outstanding leadership abilities and their accomplishments speak volumes and really help set the Air Force standard," said General Wheeler.

The senior officer category winner, Maj. Jason Horton, 509th OSS distinguished himself as Assistant Director of Operations and Wing Weapons Officer. Major Horton expertly led three flights consisting of highly-skilled B-2 planners, operators and intelligence personnel in the nation's only B-2 Bomber wing solidifying the combat capability of 80 plus aviators. He directed the world's most lethal Mission Planning Cell ensuring that the required tactics and plans are ready and to support combatant commanders at a moment's notice. Major Horton's leadership was critical in the re-building of the nuclear bomber deterrence force.

The junior officer category winner, Capt. Wilburn Poe, 509th AMXS unit officer in charge; leading 510 aircraft maintenance technicians and senior non-commissioned Officers from 11 different Air Force Specialty Codes. He was also responsible for the maintenance of 20 B-2 aircraft worth $44 billion. Captain Poe's direction of 34 thousand maintenance actions generated 1,040 sorties totaling 4,864 flight hours which ensured 110 pilots were combat mission ready. Additionally, his aggressive management style guaranteed the successful generation of nine aircraft during an extremely demanding Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection which garnered the wing an overall "excellent" rating ultimately showcasing the wing's ability to provide deterrence and combat capability for the nation.

The senior non-commissioned officer category winner, Senior Master Sgt. Richard Stiles, 509th FSS Sustainment Services Flight superintendent, guided a 151-member flight that hosted 524 thousand visitors, and garnered 3.8 million in revenue, while maintaining a 98 percent customer satisfaction rate. This directly contributed to him being named as the 509th Mission Support Group senior non-commissioned officer of the year. Furthermore, while deployed to Bagdad, Iraq he had a pivotal role on a joint drawdown plan with the Army that drove an on-time implementation of a $2.5 million morale, welfare and recreation contract.

The junior enlisted category winner is Staff Sgt. Morgan Quijano, 509th Medical Support Squadron unit deployment manager, provided information of the units personnel and ensured assets' mission preparedness. Sergeant Quijano coordinated, scheduled and tracked training of more than 180 assigned medical group members ensuring maintenance of all deployment mobility records. Sergeant Quijano's career has included has physical training leader, outpatient records technician, alternate same day surgery unit ward clerk, unit security manager, AEF UTC reporting tool and status of resources and training.

Winners were rated on their scope of responsibility, professional leadership, and leadership image and community involvement.

The recipients were award at wing level and will compete at 8th Air Force level.

Editor's Note: The Lance P. Sijan award was first presented in 1981. It is named in honor of the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. Captain Sijan was shot down over Vietnam Nov. 9, 1967, and evaded capture for 45 days despite severe injuries. He later died while in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroism.