HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The 419th Fighter Wing held its annual awards banquet Saturday at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center to honor its top military and civilian personnel.
Along with award presentations, the wing welcomed retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Barry Bridger as guest speaker.
In 1967, Bridger was flying combat missions in the F-4 Phantom when he was shot down and captured over North Vietnam. He was held as a prisoner of war in the “Hanoi Hilton” for 2,232 days. After his release in 1973, Bridger continued to serve until his retirement from the Air Force in 1984.
Bridger said one of the biggest lessons learned as a POW was the importance of holding on to shared American values in the face of adversity.
In all, nearly 300 Airmen, family members, and community leaders gathered to celebrate winners in the following categories:
Airman of the Year
Senior Airman Hayley Sewell, 419th Medical Squadron
Non-Commission Officer of the Year
Tech. Sgt. James Peterson, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron
Senior Non-Commission Officer of the Year
Senior Master Sgt. Noel Price, 419th Maintenance Squadron
Field Grade Officer of the Year
Lt. Col. Bart Wilbanks, 466th Fighter Squadron
Company Grade Officer of the Year
Capt. Sterling Broadhead, 67th Aerial Port Squadron
Civilian Category I of the Year
Kenna Waters, 419th Mission Support Group
Civilian Category II of the Year
Daniel Olvera, 419th Operations Support Flight
Civilian Category III of the Year
Seth Jordan, 419th OSF
Team of the Year
Production Generation Team
First Sergeant of the Year
Senior Master Sgt. Ruby Contreras, 67th APS
Employer of the Year
Delta Air Lines
Honor Guard Member of the Year
Master Sgt. Kevin Roper, 419th MDS
Chief’s Award of the Year for Excellence
Senior Airman Michala Van Oosbree, 419th MXS
Diamond Excellence Award
Master Sgt. Wallace Kowis, 67th APS
Volunteer of the Year
Alyson Harrison