Knucklebuster award banquet recognizes Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman Armando A. Schwier-Morales
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The 22nd Maintenance Group took time to acknowledge more than 470 Airmen during the 27th Knucklebuster awards banquet April 30.

The banquet, which was open to the Airmen's families, is an annual Air Force-wide event that recognizes the maintenance career field's best maintainers and leaders.

"The good thing about the awards is that they are all peer rated," said Senior Master Sgt. Carr, 22nd MXG accessories flight chief. "It means a little extra when your own guys are telling you that you are the heat."

During the banquet Col. Allan Day, 22 MXG commander, personally awarded the 35 Knucklebuster award winners from the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 22nd Maintenance Squadron, 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 931st Maintenance Squadron for their efforts.

In order to be a "Knucklebuster" nominees must possess a variety of qualities.

"I would describe a Knucklebuster as the maintainer that always goes above and beyond in his primary duties as well as assisting other shops with their work," said Master Sgt. Paul Amos, 22nd AMX green aircraft maintenance aerospace maintenance flight unit flight chief. "This is your 'go-to' worker that you can always rely on to lead the way to get the job done no matter how difficult the situation or what it requires to make it happen."

The honor of receiving this award was not lost on the junior enlisted.

"To me, being a knucklebuster means doing things correctly, working hard and being appreciative of those who noticed me going above and beyond and team analysis," said Airman 1st Class Eugenio Redmond, 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron maintenance analysis.

While the Knucklebuster banquet highlighted the Airmen, it also showcased the impact they have on Team McConnell.

"People see the planes take off but they don't really see what it takes to make it happen," said Sergeant Carr. "Without maintainers keeping these airplanes operational we would not have a Ready Base."

Sergeant Carr presided over the Knucklebuster awards committee to help highlight the nominees for their work in the maintenance group.

The 35 winners recognized, played their part in a much larger picture by keeping the KC-135 Stratotanker flying.

According to Air Mobility Command April 2010 Themes and Messages, the reason the Air Force can continue to operate its KC-135 air refueling fleet is because of the great efforts of the Airmen. On average, AMC KC-135 maintainers work seven to 10 hours for every one hour a KC-135 flies.

"Maintainers are out there in the rain, wind and snow getting these older planes going," said Sergeant Carr.

Since the 2009 Knucklebuster banquet McConnell's total force maintainers have supported approximately 5,500 sorties, loaded approximately 141 million pounds of fuel using 63 aircraft with 1,150 maintainers while deploying to multiple locations around the globe, according to maintenance operations squadron analysts.

The event allowed for the 22nd MXG to spend some time together and recognized some of their Airmen.

The winners are as follows:

Maintenance Operation Support
Tech. Sgt. Robert Daigle
Tech. Sgt. Seven Brightwell
Tech. Sgt. David Gutierrez
Staff Sgt. James Peak
Airmen 1st Class Eugenio Redmond

373rd Training squadron, Detachment 8
Tech. Sgt. German Castillo

Maintenance group quality assurance
Staff Sgt. Timothy Brown

Maintenance squadron
Company Grade Officer - 1st Lt. Michael Smith

Maintenance squadron maintenance flight
Staff Sgt. Charles Ross
Staff Sgt. Martin Gray
Staff Sgt. Michael Ieva

Maintenance squadron fabrication flight
Staff Sgt. Heather Craig
Senior Airman Justin Gadell
Senior Airman Andrew Tiehes

Maintenance squadron accessories flight
Staff Sgt. Ezekiel Dahlke
Staff Sgt. Dennis Stacey
Senior Airman Brian Cobbler

Maintenance squadron age flight
Senior Airman Allan Schurtz

Aircraft maintenance squadron
Capt. Jacob Sullivan

Aircraft maintenance squadron
Tech Sgt. Nate Darnell

Aircraft maintenance squadron blue aircraft maintenance unit
Staff Sgt. Christopher Glaab
Staff Sgt. James Horinek
Staff Sgt. Joshua Hood
Staff Sgt. Timothy McAllister
Staff Sgt. William Young
Senior Airman Darryon Woods

Aircraft maintenance squadron green aircraft maintenance unit
Staff Sgt. Carl Horton
Staff Sgt. Jason Trawick
Senior Airman Demetrious Henderson
Senior Airman Alex Reyes
Senior Airman Vernon Stone
Senior Airman Matthew Wilson

931st Air Refueling Group
Tech. Sgt. John Fitzpatrick
Tech. Sgt. Tylon Jackson
Tech. Sgt. Albert Young