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931st Air Refueling Group honors 2011 annual award winners

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brannen Parrish
  • 931st Air Refueling Group
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The 931st Air Refueling Group held its first awards banquet to honor members who excelled during the year at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Wichita, Kan., April 14. 

More than 350 931st members, family, and special guests attended the banquet, which honored outstanding Airmen for their peformance in 2011.

Maj. Gen. Mark A. Kyle, 4th Air Force Commander, spoke to the gathering.

"I don't like to refer to the 931st as a 'stand alone' unit, because this is a stand above unit," Kyle said. "I don't like to use the phrase 'raised the bar' but you've raised the bar and you've exceeded it."

Kyle told the attendees the 931st ARG showed up on his radar at the very beginning of his tenure as 4th Air Force Commander. When he was leaving his post as the Inspector General of Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, he found out about the culture of volunteerism at McConnell.

"I was coming out of Georgia to take over at 4th Air Force when Unified Protector popped off," said Kyle. "I'm driving across the country and I've got people calling me from the 931st and they're saying they are ready to deploy - tomorrow. That's good stuff right there."

The banquet included a Senior NCO and NCO induction ceremony as well as yearly award winners from the squadron and group level.

"This banquet provided us with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the tremendous performers we have in the 931st," said Col. William H. Mason, Commander, 931st Air Refueling Group.  "I'm extremely proud to serve as the commander of such a dedicated and talented collection of Airmen."

The following Airmen represented the group as the 2011 Yearly Award Winners:

Senior Master Sgt. Sheila Croninger, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron - First Sergeant of the Year

Capt. Austin Aggson, 18th Air Refueling Squadron - Company Grade Officer of the Year

Master Sgt. John Grindstaff, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron - Senior Non-commissioned Officer of the Year

Tech. Sgt. Megan Legacy, 931st Civil Engineering Squadron - Non-commissioned Officer and AFRC Non-commissioned Officer of the Year

Senior Airman Arenda Jackson, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron - Airman of the Year