Two civilians, two Airmen year's top TEC staff

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
  • I.G. Brown Training and Education Center
MCGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. --  The Commander of the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center announced here Feb. 4 the organization's top NCO, senior NCO and civilians for 2015.

"Please join me in congratulating these outstanding Airmen," said Col. Jessica Meyeraan, in an email. "Their contributions are worthy of distinction." 

The TEC recognizes its top performers each year from its fulltime staff of more than 80 personnel from the regular Air Force, the Air Force Reserve Command, the Air National Guard and the civilian workforce. The awardees are next considered for Air National Guard Readiness Center recognition.

The 2015 Outstanding Airmen of the Year are:

Civilian of the Year, Category II: David Barlow is the graphics manager for the Media and Engagement Division, TEC TV.

Civilian of the Year, Category III: Tammie Smeltzer is the Professional Continuing Education director for the Media and Engagement Division.

Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. John McClean is an enlisted professional military education instructor for the Paul H. Lankford Enlisted PME Center.

Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Christine Shawhan is the director of education for the Paul H. Lankford Enlisted PME Center.

"My thanks to each of them for all they do, the professionalism with which they do it and the care and compassion they have for our mission ... engage, train, educate and inspire leaders," said Meyeraan.

For Barlow, award officials said that he produced 626 hours of National Guard Bureau directorate-level live training broadcasts, which reached 174 Air National Guard sites, via satellite.

Officials called Barlow a key design-team member for an $185,000 mobile studio, which provides global-reach capabilities to NGB's conference planners.  He also produced six "Always on Mission" videos in support of the Air National Guard's command chief.  His other video projects included a virtual campus tour, a studio and broadcast operations training program, and a sexual assault prevention and response annual awareness training segment. 

Officials also considered Barlow's audio visual support to his church, which included a 10,000-attendee holiday program. 

For Smeltzer, officials pointed out that her team trained a record number of PCE students.  Most notably, she designed, implemented, and coordinated the General Officer Support Staff Course for 70 Air and Army National Guard service members.  Additionally, she served on the Community College of the Air Force Policy and Procedure Council, which, through, helped 35 students receive college credit. 

Officials said that Smeltzer continued her sexual assault response coordinator role and trained at least 80 staff as well as 1,900 students through an innovative video. 

Officials also profiled Smeltzer's off-duty service as vice president for her credit union, which reported its highest membership.

For McClean, officials recognized his management of the Lankford Center's registrar team.  He administered 20 programs and serviced 523 students, which conferred 4,700 CCAF credit hours. He also led a 10-member curriculum change team, which made 28 updates and enhanced 14 lessons. 

Officials pointed out McClean's flight-room performance, where he delivered 642 hours of instruction, remediated 23 students, guided more than 2,000 hours of feedback, mentored seven distinguished graduates and one Levitow awardee, and maintained a 100 percent graduation rate.

Officials also reported McClean's 12 credit hours obtained in his Master of Divinity, as well as his organization in two blood drives, which donated 90 pints of blood.

For Shawhan, officials called her service brilliant as Interim Commandant for the first half of the year.  She managed her assigned responsibility while carrying the commandant demands, all during an elevated EPME student load.  She also recruited 17 high-quality prospects and participated in two hiring panels. Her participation and evaluation of potential candidates set the TEC up for sustained success. 

Among other accolades, officials noted Shawhan's hard work and dedication during the preparation phase of NCO academy to the Intermediate Learning Experience.  She assembled a six-member team to manage that transition as well as visited a transitioned NCO academy to capture its lessons learned and its best practices.

Finally, officials said that Shawhan initiated a heritage preservation project that openly displayed 147 shelved heritage items. 

Quarterly awardees receive recognition at the following commander's call as well as an award plaque and other accolades.