Maintainers celebrate achievements at Knucklebuster event

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jay Ponder
  • 908th Airlift Wing
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  The 908th Maintenance Group recently recognized their high achievers at the Third Annual Knuckle Buster Banquet at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

Winners represented all three squadrons of the maintenance group.

"The 908th Knucklebuster Award was created to recognize deserving individuals for their contributions to the unit's mission and to acknowledge outstanding accomplishments of individuals within the unit," said Senior Master Sgt. Todd Kern, one of the banquet's master of ceremonies. "The program is designed as a means to foster morale and camaraderie among unit personnel."

The event's guest speaker, retired Chief Master Sgt. Leslie Morrissette, passed his hard-earned life experiences to the assembly, telling them being in the Air Force, instills certain work ethics.

"Excellence in all we do, that's what we live and breathe," he said.

Maintenance Group Commander Lt. Col. Joe Friday described the group's accomplishments during the past year, especially supporting flying operations for Central Command and here at home. The CENTCOM missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom featured 507 sorties during the 120-day deployment.

"At home station, these Airmen supported 887 sorties flying 2,495 hours," he said. "Additionally, these Airmen performed 8,292 maintenance actions with 18 percent of the force in upgrade training and only 84 percent full-time staffing."

The highlight of the evening came as the group recognized its very best with the presentation of the Silver Wrench Awards to 38 Airmen.

"These meaningful contributions to the flying mission of the 908th Airlift Wing are a testament of the commitment of the Airmen of the 908th Maintenance Group to meeting the wing's mission," Friday said.