Kirtland's Goldsmith named NGB's Outstanding Airman of the Year Published April 10, 2014 By Joe Vigil KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Senior Airman Christian Goldsmith, 150th Special Operations Wing, New Mexico Air National Guard, was named the 2014 National Guard Bureau ANG Outstanding Airman of the Year. Goldsmith is the first Airman from New Mexico to receive the NGB honor. He joins Staff Sgt. Claudine Jaramillo of the formerly named 150th Tactical Fighter Group as the only other New Mexico Air Guardsmen to earn Outstanding Airman honors at the NGB level. Jaramillo was recognized as the Outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer Airman of the Year in 1995. Each year, the 54 states and territories select their top performers from more than 92,000 ANG enlisted Airmen. "The task of selecting these Airmen from the outstanding individuals nominated this year was a difficult one," said Lt. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke lll, Director, Air National Guard. "All nominees should be extremely proud of their achievements, their exemplary representation of their states and territories, and their service to the Air National Guard and the communities in which they live. Their distinctive service serves as an example to all Guard Airmen." These Airmen, Clarke added, were selected based on superior leadership, job performance, community involvement and personal achievements. "It's shocking and nothing I expected," Goldsmith said. "I just try to do my job and stay under the radar." Goldsmith works as a geospatial targeteer with the 250th Intelligence Squadron, whose mission is to provide precision targeting products and geospatial intelligence to Air Force and Joint Warfighters. He is one of over 100 Citizen-Airmen in the squadron who provide critical "reach-back" capability for Air Operations Centers across the globe -serving as a vital cog in the Air Force Targeting Enterprise. Goldsmith's efforts have expanded and refined not only his skill sets, but also those of the Air National Guard and Air Force targeting community. His work ethic and innovation have streamlined many processes and saved hundreds of man hours. Not only has it saved time, but it has also greatly reduced error rates and established new benchmarks of excellence. In turn, Goldsmith shares his knowledge with his peers; training, mentoring and helping hone their skills, as well as freeing up valuable instructor man hours. He is lauded as a "superb analyst" for Point Mensuration instruction, setting the Drill Status Guardsmen standard of performance and enhancing Air National Guard credibility in the targeting community. He authored the target model re-validation checklist, standardized and streamlined lengthy processes, enabling additional products per year. A humble Goldsmith shares the credit with his fellow Airmen and says it is great that New Mexico and his unit get the publicity about what they do. "We are good at what we do and proud that we contribute to the mission." His squadron is part of a Total Force Initiative with the Air Force Targeting Center (AFTC) based at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, which according the Lt. Col. Matthew Henry, squadron commander of the 250th IS, provides the squadron with operational direction and mission tasking. The 250th IS, which achieved Final Operational Capability in September 2013, is only three years into conversion. The squadron produces target graphics, weaponeering solutions, precise point mensuration and Terminal Area Modeling for stand-off cruise missiles. All of these products combine to directly enable the precision employment of airpower from New Mexico. During crisis or war, Henry said, the squadron acts as an extension of the forward deployed air operations centers through established and exercised federated concepts of operation and provides critical data for Air Tasking Order development, the Theater Targeting and Assessment Process, and Combat Unit mission planning and execution. The squadron Target Graphics Flight generates precise target graphics for Air Force bomber, fighter and other airborne platforms engaged in exercise, training or actual combat operations. Goldsmith wants to be a good ambassador for New Mexico, the Air National Guard and his unit. He will go on to compete with the total Air Force's active duty and Reserve Airmen from other major commands for the Air Force's top distinction - the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year.