TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
349th Air Mobility Wing members gathered to celebrate stand-out performers during a “Roaring Twenties” themed Annual Awards Banquet, January 23, 2016. The event, held at the Delta Breeze Club, honored a key spouse as well as civilian and military members from different units and ranks who went above and beyond during 2015.
Retired Chief Master Sgt. Sandra Santos was the event’s guest speaker. Santos, who was previously the top enlisted for the 349th AMW before her retirement, shared some of the things that made her career successful.
She explained three guidelines she followed in order to be the best leader she could be. Those were, “to choose your attitude, to be true to yourself and to remember the importance of service toward others.”
Santos asked the audience to consider her personal rules and shared stories to highlight their importance. In an example she spoke about her detailed preparation for a marathon to ensure everything was nearly perfect for the race day. However, while running the marathon she was distracted by constant clicking sounds behind her. This bothered her until she decided to turn around to find the source. She then realized it was a Wounded Warrior from the Marine Corps who was making the clicking sounds as he ran with his two prosthetic legs. He was following her pace all along. She then forced herself to rethink and find a new outlook in order to continue on with the marathon.
“Choose your attitude because people are counting on you, whether you know it or not,” Santos said. “If you choose the right attitude, at the end of the day you will make a difference… there will be excellence in everything you do.”
Santos also had much praise for the award nominees. She explained that she was very impressed by dedication of those individuals.
“All of the people (nominated) were good,” she added. “The impacts (they made) weren’t for themselves, they were for others, for the organization. That’s service before self. I’m impressed with what you all are doing.”
At the end of the night the award winners were announced. The year 2015 winners are:
Airman: Senior Airman Jennifer Spencer, 349th Logistics Readiness Squadron
Noncommissioned Officer: Tech. Sgt. Raul Gamboa, 349th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Senior Noncommissioned Officer: Master Sgt. Andrea Johnson, 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
First Sergeant: Senior Master Sgt. Cynthia Villa, 349th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Company Grade Officer: Capt. Maria-Rocio Vasquez, 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
Honor Guardsman: Master Sgt. Jose M. Aquillizan, 349th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
Recruiter: Tech. Sgt. Aileen Cooper, 349th Air Mobility Wing
Civilian Category I: Ms. Mary A. Knode, 349th Maintenance Group
Civilian Category II: Mr. Benjamin D. Scott, 349th Force Support Squadron
Key Spouse: Mrs. Alison Evans, 301st Airlift Squadron
Please join us in congratulating the award winners!