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    Tuskegee Airman of the Week: May 24 - 30

    Tuskegee Airman of the Week

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala | Staff Sgt. Steven Anthes, 332d Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron tactical...... read more read more

    BALAD, IRAQ

    06.09.2009

    Story by Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala 

    332d Air Expeditionary Wing

    JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Staff Sgt. Steven Anthes is the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing's Tuskegee Airman of the Week for May 24 — 30.

    "It is an honor for me to congratulate Staff Sgt. Steven Anthes, our Tuskegee Airman of the Week," said Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, 332nd AEW commander. "I want to thank him for the outstanding work he does. Like the original Tuskegee Airmen all over Iraq are overcoming adversity every single day by performing in an outstanding and fantastic manner. [Sgt. Anthes] is helping us take our legacy into the future with today's 21st-century Tuskegee Airmen."

    Sgt. Anthes said being presented with the award was a privilege and a surprise.

    "I feel honored to be presented this award," said Sgt. Anthes, a Lodi, Calif., native and member of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron here. "I was also very surprised. There are so many other Airmen who do so much that for me to win over anybody is surprising."

    While working as a tactical aerial reconnaissance system imagery analyst, Sgt. Anthes analyzed 83 targets identifying insurgent improvised explosive device activity and tactics, techniques, and procedures. Overall, his efforts helped safeguard more than 10,000 U.S. and coalition forces throughout the Iraqi theater of operations.

    Furthermore, Sgt. Anthes created a 360-degree-view imagery product that aided U.S. and coalition forces' planning efforts; multiple operations that were planned using his imagery product are now prepared for execution.

    In addition to his day-to-day mission, Sgt. Anthes, who is deployed here from Langley Air Force Base, Va., is also involved in JBB off-duty activities and encourages others to be actively engaged as well.

    He led 20-hours of an Army Level-1 combatives class here, teaching 21 students defensive techniques, and was even named instructor of the week.

    In addition, Sgt. Anthes is also pursuing a bachelor's degree in sports medicine and is currently tackling two college classes while balancing duty requirements. Thus far, he has successfully completed 63 of the 123 semester hours he needs with a 4.0 grade point average.

    In general, Sgt. Anthes attributes receiving the Tuskegee of the Week Award to his peers and his leadership.

    "The people in my shop have helped me succeed," he said. "Without the Airmen who do their job and help me on a daily basis, without my supervisors who [motivate] me to do stuff that complements the work I'm already doing, there wouldn't even be anything to put in for an award."

    To JBB Airmen, Sgt. Anthes offers some words of encouragement: "Find something that you're interested that you can get involved with on your off-time to help time go faster and will help better yourself too."

    Not surprisingly, Sgt. Anthes' supervisor and leadership are proud of him.

    "All of my Airmen do a lot of great things and work very hard, but [Sgt. Anthes'] college work and what he's been doing with combatives and all the stuff he's doing to help the community here on base made him stand out amongst his peers," said Master Sgt. Kelly Broomfield, non-commissioned officer in charge of TARS and Sgt. Anthes' supervisor.

    "When he's outside work, he's still constantly busy, always doing something, always on the go," continued the Rockford, Ill., native deployed here from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. "He definitely brings something to the team. I'm proud of him."

    The 332nd EOSS Intelligence Flight commander, Maj. Peter Freeman, concurred, "[Sgt. Anthes] is a very dedicated and hard worker. On- and off-duty, he gives 100 percent.

    "There is a sense of dedication on- and off-duty and that is evident in his combatives course and his education," continued the Hamilton, Mass., native deployed here from Shaw AFB, S.C. "He brings with him a sense of teamwork; as he mentioned before, he gave credit to everyone else in the shop before himself. He's humble and definitely a team player."

    The 332nd AEW Tuskegee Airman of the Week is selected based on an Airman's accomplishments both on- and off-duty and is open to Airmen in the ranks of E-1 to E-5.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.09.2009
    Date Posted: 06.09.2009 10:38
    Story ID: 34782
    Location: BALAD, IQ

    Web Views: 146
    Downloads: 119

    PUBLIC DOMAIN