PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. — During the 2018 Air Force Reserve Command awards presentations, the 911th Airlift Wing took many of the top honors with several squadrons receiving more than 45 percent of the awards available.
The 911th AW’s Aeromedical Staging Squadron brought home 45 percent of the medical awards. No other base received more than one. The following are the awards received by the 911th ASTS:
Outstanding Company Grade Officer assigned to a Reserve Medical Unit:
Captain Matthew J. Waller, 911th ASTS, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nursing Leadership Excellence Award:
Major Brian R Carr, 911th ASTS, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Outstanding Air Reserve Technician Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year:
Master Sgt. Luca Farkas, 911th ASTS, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Outstanding Airman assigned to a Reserve Medical Unit:
Senior Airman Robert M. Ostrowski, 911th ASTS, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mentorship Excellence Award:
Master Sgt. Patrick S. Lehosit, 911th ASTS, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“The reason I believe we are successful as a medical unit is that we are unique in not only the services provided, but also who we provide it to,” said 1st Lt. Michael Cilli, director of medical operations for the 911th ASTS. “Many AF reserve units are tenants on an active duty base. So, the active duty medical facility takes care of those needs. Other units, such as Air National Guard bases, for instance, are too small to facilitate the medical requirements for service members. Our medical unit supports the Greater Tri-State area. We support outside organizations, whether it’s the Marine Corps, Army National Guard, Army Reserves, Navy Reserves or Coast Guard,” said Cilli. “We actually provide service to more outside personnel, than to members here at the 911th, he said. “This type of care is what sets us apart.”
The 911th Security Forces Squadron took home 66 percent of the awards available. Some of the awards received were:
Todd “TJ” Lobraico Award:
Tech. Sgt. Marcus Merritt, 911th SF, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Outstanding SF Flight- Level NCO Award:
Tech. Sgt. Michael Wenger, 911th SF, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Outstanding SF Flight- Level Airman Award:
Senior Airman Justin Graham, 911th SF, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“Our Airmen are some of the best security forces around. The squadron has done a great job of taking care of each other and the mission,” said Lt. Col. Jason D. Price, 911th Security Forces Squadron commander. “We are doing a great job from the air show, to the deployment, to the capstone, and the conversion.”
The 911th AW’s Force Support Squadron also took home 66 percent of the awards available. There were many others who made the 911th AW proud with their wins and nominations as well.
Col. Douglas Strawbridge mentioned all the AFRC award winners at the 2018 Awards Ceremony held March 2, 2019.
Col. Strawbridge mentioned it was “unbelievable that a wing that represents 2.2 percent of the Reserves is taking well into double digits of the awards.”
The 911th AW has only been with the 4th Air Force for a year and already it is sweeping the awards. Col. Strawbridge mentioned during his speech at the banquet how he told Maj. Gen. Craig L. La Fave, Commander of the 22nd Air Force, at the assumption of command, “You don’t know what you are losing,” then turned to Maj. Gen. Randall A. Ogden, Commander of the 4th Air Force, “You don’t know what you are going to get.”
“We are basically kicking you know what and taking names across the Air Force and AFRC,” said Strawbridge.
The Airmen and Civilian personnel at the base should be proud of all that they have accomplished, not only with the awards but with the reputation they have built in the AFRC.
“Every month, our Newcomers Orientation is packed and it’s constantly packed. We don’t have any place to put them,” said Col. Strawbridge. “Word is out about how good this base is and that’s why they want to come here.”