BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- The old adage that good things come in pairs rang true for the 307th Force Support Squadron, as two of their members won Air Force Reserve Command, Directorate of Manpower, Personnel and Services Award for 2020, during an announcement made earlier this month by AFRC officials.
Maj. Juliana Bean, 307th FSS director of operations, won the field grade officer of the year, and Senior Airman Jayla Gilmore, 307th FSS career development technician, took home honors as the Airman of the Year.
Col. Harold Linnean, AFRC Manpower, Personnel and Service director, and Chief Master Sgt. Manuel Zubia, AFRC chief enlisted manager, praised both recipients in a letter that accompanied their respective awards.
“We are proud to have you as part of the Air Force Reserve Team,” they wrote. “Your dedication and expertise are crucial in helping to continue to transform the A1 enterprise.”
Unit leadership was also quick to join in the chorus of praise for Bean and Gilmore’s efforts. Lt. Col. Michelle Coumbs, 307th FSS commander, said the success of the two Reserve Citizen Airmen is a reflection of their peers.
“I am incredibly impressed with the level of talent in the 307th FSS family,” she said. “These two professionals competed against the best, so this recognition is huge.”
Bean, an 11-year Air Force veteran, had only been a part of the 307th FSS A1 team for a year, having moved over from the cyber community.
“This award is really about all the people I serve with and all the great mentors I’ve had during my career,” she said. “I’m just grateful for the opportunities they have given me.”
Like Bean, Gilmore is a relative newcomer to the 307th FSS, having enlisted in the Air Force Reserve in 2019. She said she was stunned when she received the email informing her of the award.
“I didn’t believe it and nearly deleted the email, but when my supervisor and commander came in to congratulate me I knew it was real,” she said
Gilmore, who was also named the 307th Bomb Wing Airman of the Year for 2020, said the smiles on her customer’s faces motivate her to excel.
“I’ll do something that seems small to me, but it brightens up the customer’s whole day and can improve their career,” she said.