Special recognition was given to airmen from the 186th Refueling Wing at Key Field by the Air Force Association. Receiving awards are, from left, Senior Airman Robert Aycock, Senior Master Sgt. Darren McMullen, Master Sgt. Merche Copeland and 1st Sgt. Thomas Irby.

    Five airmen from the 186th Air Refueling Wing have been recognized by a local Air Force association.

    The officers were recognized during the 10th Annual Business Meeting of The Air Force Association, G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Chapter 376.

    “Each year we use our annual business meeting as a way to recognize the young men and women who have been chosen by their peers as outstanding airmen of the year,” said, Langford Knight, chapter president.     

    The honorees:

    • Senior Airman Robert C. Aycock, Outstanding Airmen of the Year.

    • Technical Sgt. Joshua A. Madison, Outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.     • Senior Master Sgt. Darren D. McMullen, Outstanding Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.

    • Master Sgt. Thomas D. Irby, 1st Sgt. of the Year.

    • Master Sgt. Merche S. Copeland, The Charles L. Sullivan Award .

    Each honoree received a certificate and a $50 gift certificate from the association.

    Guest speaker for the evening was Col. John Ascherl, commander of the 286th Air Operations Group at Key Field. Ascherl provides oversight and direction for the group in the execution of their mission to support the Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Region, First Air Force and Air Forces Northern, CONR – 1 AF (AFNORTH) and the Homeland Defense.

    Ascherl spoke discussed the functions of some of the organizations on the base as well as his organization does.

    “Everyone sees the planes flying over, so they know planes are here but don’t know what some of the other organizations on the base do,” Ascherl said.     “One of the things we do is provide operational planning support and augmentation for First Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. We also work with joint operation centers to provide help and inform them on what they can do to get it from our unit.”

    Ascherl said the National Guard has provided help in times of need, like the Louisville and Tupelo tornadoes.

    “We were not the ones handing out water, but what we provided was a plane to fly overhead and take pictures of all the damage,” he said. “We got that imagery and provided it to the adjutant general in Mississippi and to the people working on the ground. It showed them where the damage was and where to send search and rescue.”

    Ascherl said they are not the people “waiting for the box to show up from Amazon.”

    “There is a whole machinery of processes that have to take place behind the scenes to get from Point A to Point B, and we are the ones who provide that machinery,” he said.

    Organized in 2004, the mission of Air Force Association, G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Chapter 376, is to promote and be an advocate for the Air National Guard, and to promote military functions of the guard at Key Field, Knight said. The chapter currently has 175 members and is one of three chapters in Mississippi.

    “The association has community partners – which are local businesses who support us –and our function is to keep the local community apprised on what our guard people are doing, where they are going and the places they are serving around the world right now,” Knight said.