AFRL Cheers on 2020 Annual Award Winners Published Feb. 28, 2020 By Jeanne Dailey Air Force Research Laboratory KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE -- Presenting the awards at the celebration were Dr. Kelly Hammett, Director of the AFRL Directed Energy Directorate (AFRL/RD) and Mr. Barry Bunn, Deputy Director of the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV). ”Thank you for coming out today as we honor our 2020 top achievers,” said Hammett. “Recognizing our people is one of the key things we do. I also want to thank the supervisors who made the effort to nominate their employees. These awards complement the long list of directorate achievements that I recently sent out to everyone.” Bunn paid tribute to the Space Vehicles Directorate members on a successful year. “It’s a very exciting time for Space with the recent announcement of the Space Force,” he said. “This afternoon I look forward to recognizing the success of the directorate’s 2020 nominees and winners at this special event.” At the end of the ceremony, there was a rousing response for the Team Spirit award given to the division who generated the loudest level of cheering. This year that honor went to Directed Energy’s Electro-Optics Division located at Kirtland AFB, and on the island of Maui, that joined the festivities by video teleconference. From among many worthy nominees, the winners for the 2020 AFRL/RD and AFRL/RV Annual Awards are below. Directed Energy Directorate Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Sarah Thompson (RDS) Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Christopher Lindsey (RDS) Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Leif Gisselberg (RDS) Individual Mobilization Augmentee Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Jay Hensley (RDH) Individual Mobilization Augmentee Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Justin Fletcher (RDS) Company Grade Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Richard Peterson (RDS) Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Matthew Gridley (RDS) Innovation: Capt. Ian McQuaid (RDS) Mentorship: Dr. John Tam (RDL) Technology Transfer and Transition Achievement Individual: Amber Anderson (RDH) Technology Transfer and Transition Achievement Team: ICEPIC/GALAXY (RDH) Publication of the Year Individual: Dr. Rao Gudimetla (RDS) Publication of the Year Team: Machine Intelligence for Space Superiority (RDS) Junior Mission Support Excellence: Joey Wells (RDL) Senior Mission Support Excellence: Brian Young (RDM) Senior Administrative Excellence: Teresa Garcia (RDL) Administrative Excellence; Elena Martinez (RDS) Mission Support Excellence Team: Space Electro-Optics Mission Support (RDS) International Individual: Dr. Daniel Enderich (RDH) International Team: Effects of High Energy Laser Project Agreement (RDL) Supervisory: Dr. Andrew Greenwood (RDH) Leadership: 2nd Lt. Laura Pineda (RDS) Senior Leadership: Karen Merritt (RDM) General Raymond A. Gilbert Junior Technical Achievement: Dr. Edwin Ahn (RDL) Scientific and Technical Achievement: Dr. Bryan Anderson (RDL) Scientific and Technical Achievement Team: Semiconductor Laser Team (RDL) Scientific/Technical Technician Individual: John McCullough (RDH) Scientific/Technical Technician Team: Tactical High Power Operational Responder (THOR) (RDH) Scientific and Technical Management: 1st Lt. Hope Thomas (RDS) Director’s Cup Junior Force: 1st Lt. Calvin Suratos (RDS) “Sparks” Award: Dr. Angel Flores (RDL) R. Earl Good Team: Tactical High Power Operational Responder (RDH) Giller Award: Novel Fiber Structures Team (RDL) Civilian of the Year Category I: Officer Jon De Costa (RDS) Civilian of the Year Category II: Katherine Struthers (RDF) Civilian of the Year Category III: Dr. Imelda Atencio (RDL) Director’s Cup, Richard J. Neal Team: Satellite Custody and Characterization R&D (RDS) Director’s Cup, Richard J. Neal Senior Individual: Dr. Steven Massey (RDS) Director’s Cup, Junior Individual: Capt. Will Dickinson (RDS) Space Vehicles Directorate Individual Mobilization Augmentee Field Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. James M. Wolongevicz (RVE) Individual Mobilization Augmentee Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Mark Hinga (RVS) Company Grade Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Shalyndria Finley (RVB) Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Timothy Allen (RVE) Innovation Award: Dr. Kenneth Obenberger (RVB) Mentorship: 1st Lt. Patrick Chov (RVE) Technology Transfer and Transition Achievement Individual: Capt. Nicholas Yielding (RVS) Technology Transfer and Transition Achievement Team: Air Force Space Accelerator Program (RVS) Publication of the Year Individual: Dr. Khanh Pham (RVB) Publication of the Year Team: Proton Radiation Belt Variability (RVB) Senior Mission Support Excellence: Esther Martinez (RVB) Mission Support Excellence Team: Infrastructure Management Branch (RVO) International Individual: Ronald Caton (RVB) International Team: Micro-Satellite Military Utility (RVE) Supervisory: Lt. Col. Ryan Drinkwater (RVS) Leadership: Dr. Gretchen Phelps (RVB) Senior Leadership: Paul Zetocha (RVS) General Raymond A. Gilbert Junior Technical Achievement: Dr. Nicholas Shuman (RVB) Scientific & Technical Achievement: Bianca Prumo (RVS) Scientific & Technical Achievement Team: Future Advanced Satcom and Timing (RVB) Scientific/Technical Technician Individual: Keith Brunner (RVE) Scientific & Technical Management: Brenton Taft (RVS) Director’s Cup Junior Force: Dr. Kyle Montgomery (RVS) Dan Wilhelm Director’s Cup: Gabe Mounce (RVS) Dr. Harold Gardiner Director’s Cup Team: Space Camp (RVS) Wingman of the Year: Capt. Jarred Langhals (RVE) Civilian of the Year Category II: Stacy Schramm (RVB) Civilian of the Year Category III: Dr. Andrew Metcalf (RVB) Director’s Cup, Richard J. Neal Team: Mycroft (RVE) Director’s Cup, Richard J. Neal Senior Individual: Stephanie Eddy (RVB) Director’s Cup, Richard J. Neal Junior Individual: Dr. Richard Zappulla (RVE)