BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 307th Bomb Wing came together here Saturday during Gatorfest to recognize their peers for outstanding performance in their career fields.
Gatorfest is an annual awards ceremony put on by the 307th Maintenance Group. The event allowed Airmen to pause and recognize the best maintainers in the unit while building camaraderie within the group.
It also plays a part in the overall Air Force Reserve Command effort to build and honor the next generation of resilient leaders. Recognizing outstanding Reserve Citizen Airmen is a way to develop and maintain this initiative while simultaneously demonstrating the value of their efforts.
One of the highest honors given during the event is the Golden Gator Award. This year’s recipient was Senior Airman Chelsea Sterling, 307th Maintenance Group time change monitor.
“I’m really thankful that I have supervision that took notice of my efforts and pushed me to go that extra mile,” said Sterling.
The Golden Gator is awarded to those Airmen who distinguished in their job as well as with involvement in the community.
In addition to the Golden Gator, other squadron level and job specific awards were given during the event. Winners were selected from a pool of worthy nominees that set themselves apart by going above and beyond mission requirements.
“You’re not going to get an award by pretending”, said Lt. Col. Robert Griffith, 307th Maintenance Group commander, “your work is proven through completing the mission.”