Maintainers celebrate accomplishments

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Melissa Harvey
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  Maintenance Airmen celebrated their accomplishments during a yearly awards banquet in the hangar Sat. April 2.

To kick off the Maintenance Professional Awards Banquet commanders and chief master sergeants served Airmen and their families dinner.

During the ceremony, Colonel Michael H. Egbalic, 301st MXG commander, addressed Airmen and recognized their work from the past year and in preparation for future deployments.

He then introduced the key note speaker, Maj. Dan Rooney, a 301st Fighter Squadron pilot at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. and founder of Folds of Honor Foundation, an organization that raises money to provide scholarships to spouses and children of military members disabled or killed in action. Rooney is also a professional golfer.

During his speech, he spoke about the inspiration for starting Folds of Honor, which was seeing the family of U.S. Army Corp. Brock Bucklin meet their fallen hero as he came home, escorted by his twin brother.

According to Rooney, the number of scholarships given by Folds of Honor will reach 13,000 this year.

After Rooney’s speech, Key Spouse members and all award recipients, which included Airmen and civilians from the 301st MXG and the 355th Fighter Squadron, were recognized by Egbalic, Rooney, and Chief Master Sgt. Charles Yaws, the 301st MXG superintendent.

In the end, Airmen, civilians, and family members were recognized for their contributions to the wing and the mission.