Arkansas Air Guardsman receives Air Force recognition

Photo By John Oldham | NORTH LITTLE ROCK Ark. -- Arkansas Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Christine Norman, a military personnel management assistant assigned to Joint Force Headquarters-Air, was recently named the Air Force’s enlisted staff-level Force Support Reserve Component NCO of the Year. She was chosen based on her mission accomplishments, focus on customers, and leadership and team building accomplishments throughout 2020. She has served in the Arkansas ANG for eight years.  

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR, UNITED STATES

06.22.2021

Story by John Oldham 

Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs Office

An Arkansas Air National Guardsman was recently named the Air Force’s enlisted staff-level Force Support Reserve Component NCO of the Year.

Tech. Sgt. Christine Norman, a military personnel management assistant assigned to the Arkansas Air National Guard headquarters at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, was chosen based on her mission accomplishments, focus on customers, and leadership and team building accomplishments throughout 2020.

“Christine has a very thorough knowledge of the Air Force and Air National Guard personnel instructions but is never complacent in that knowledge and constantly strives to expand her understanding,” said Col. Paul Jara, Arkansas Air National Guard director of staff. “Military personnel actions touch every airmen in the state and she work diligently to ensure just consideration for all 2,000 Airmen she serves.”

She provided expert personnel support to two wings and 10 geographically separated units, according to her nomination package. She provided quality control of all in-state Air Guard promotion actions for those sewing on the ranks of E-7 and above on the enlisted side and up to O-5 on the officer side.

“It may seem cliché, but Christine’s adherence to the core values is exemplary,” the colonel said. “She cares for the integrity of the personnel actions the headquarters oversees, works above and beyond in serving all the state’s Airmen and the two force support squadrons, and consistently delivers excellent products. She has an open door policy with her personnel peers inside and outside the state and is repeatedly called upon for advice.”

She served on a team that conducted a scrub of personnel records to ensure end-of-service decorations were presented to former Guardsmen. Her efforts helped ensure more than 500 Guardsmen received long-deserved accolades for their past service to the state and nation.

Additionally, she provided timely support to the Joint Forces Headquarters Public Affairs office as it sought to purchase equipment to livestream ceremonies when the pandemic started last year.

Her behind-the-scenes support as a government purchaser led to an equipment acquisition that allowed the state’s Public Affairs team to stream change of command, promotion, retirement and other ceremonies that were severely limited due to Covid-19 protocols in 2020, allowing more than 35,000 Guardsmen, their loved ones and the general public to witness these once-in-a-lifetime events.

Lastly, she designed and facilitated a Covid-19 best practice in 2020 to establish virtual retention boards, so that retention decision actions could continue during the pandemic. It not only worked well for Arkansas, six other Air National Guard state headquarters adopted it when they heard about it.

• Date Taken: 06.22.2021
• Date Posted: 06.22.2021 14:21
• Story ID: 399445
• Location: NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR, US