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Malmstrom senior NCO receives nuclear enterprise award

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Delia Marchick
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  A Malmstrom senior NCO was recently notified of his selection to receive a 2016 Air Force level nuclear enterprise award.

Senior Master Sgt. Brian Newbraugh, 341st Maintenance Group quality assurance superintendent, was selected to receive the General Larry D. Welch award.

According to Air Force Instruction 36-2870 “Nuclear Operations Awards Program,” the intent of the award is to recognize a member who has personally and profoundly impacted the nuclear enterprise through an action or accomplishment that has a broad impact above the wing level or across multiple units and/or functional areas.

Newbraugh was submitted for the award by 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron leadership, including Maj. Daniel Brady, 341st MMXS maintenance operations officer and Chief Master Sgt. Robert Rasmussen, 341st MMXS superintendent.

“It was nice that leadership took the time to recognize and nominate me,” said Newbraugh. “I was very surprised when I found out that I won. It is an honor and a privilege to be selected especially at the Air Force level.”

Newbraugh has been stationed at Malmstrom AFB for a year and has already made an impact within the maintenance group.

“Under his leadership, we have cut down our backlog on maintenance and launch facility batteries, won the Blanchard and the Blackburn trophies, and he turned us around for the Global Strike Challenge,” said Rasmussen. “He is one of those individuals that people come to this unit to work with. His leadership has a big impact day-to-day on everything that goes on within the maintenance group.”

Rasmussen worked with Newbraugh at Minot AFB, North Dakota, for three years and recruited him to come to Malmstrom because of his exceptional leadership skills and the experience Newbraugh brings to the nuclear enterprise.

Rasmussen and Brady agree Newbraugh was the best candidate for the General Larry D. Welch award.

“The reason I submitted Senior Master Sergeant Newbraugh for this award is because (he) is one of the best senior NCOs I have personally had the pleasure of working with for the last 13 years,” said Brady. “When you talk about someone who has the whole person concept, gets the big mission of the Air Force down to the Airman level, and the impact that the nuclear enterprise has on the big picture mission, no one rivals his ability.”

In addition to being an expert in his career field and a pleasure to work with according to his peers, Newbraugh also cares for Airmen and their professional development under his leadership.

As superintendent, Newbraugh selected Airmen who were submitted for the annual awards and he also reviewed every package.

“One of the big things besides mission accomplishment and mission impact is his ability to take care of Airmen,” Brady said. “One of the highlights of our squadron was our ability to sweep all the enlisted categories for the annual awards at the missile wing. He was a tremendous part of that. He made sure the right people were nominated and all of the hard work and dedication of the squadron was recognized.”

However, Newbraugh credits Airmen with doing the work that earned his award.

“The impact on the nuclear enterprise, which is what the award is for, was accomplished by the technicians and team chiefs,” Newbraugh said. “The airmen to staff sergeants are the ones who carry the bulk of the work within the maintenance community. In (generation) flight I had anywhere from 93-113 people, depending on orders and rotation. At some level every one of those guys and gals had an impact on the ability to sustain nuclear deterrence.”

Newbraugh has been invited to receive the award at the Air Force Association’s 2016 Air, Space and Cyber Conference awards ceremony Sept. 19 in Maryland.

He plans on attending the event and bringing the award to Malmstrom.

“This award is a representation of the Airmen, NCOs, team chiefs and technicians of generation flight and the 576th Flight Test Squadron operating the test mission,” said Newbraugh.