Photo By Tech. Sgt. Leilani Peltz | Outstanding Airmen of the Year awards are poised on a table ahead of the annual awards...... read more read more
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BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. – The 104th Fighter Wing recognized the achievements of its Airmen during its annual Outstanding Airmen of the Year awards banquet at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Saturday, February 7. This marks the second consecutive year the event was held at the museum and the final banquet before the wing transitions from the F-15 to the F-35.
The banquet brought together senior leaders, Airmen, family members and prominent guests to celebrate excellence across the wing. Awards highlighted performance, leadership and dedication demonstrated throughout the previous year. The evening also served as a moment of reflection for the wing as it prepares for a historic transition in both mission and aircraft.
Married couple Senior Master Sgt. Diane Dowd and Senior Master Sgt. Sean Dowd narrated the event, eliciting laughter with their on-point jokes and applause for the sponsors, nominees and award winners.
Distinguished visitors in attendance included Air Component Commander Brig. Gen. Lisa Ahaesy, Massachusetts Air National Guard State Command Chief Master Sgt. Michelle O’Keefe, the command team and other leadership from the 104th Fighter Wing.
Following Chaplain (Capt.) Josh Carollo’s invocation, 104FW Command Chief Master Sgt. Michael Gardner spoke to the crowd, thanking those involved for organizing the banquet.
“Nights like this don’t happen without extraordinary people to make them happen,” Gardner said. “In order to do that, it starts with picking the right people to recognize. Putting together something like this again is no small feat – the commitment, the coordination, the late nights, the phone calls…”
Gardner closed by reminding attendees of the incoming F-35 mission.
“126 days…I shouldn’t have to say much more to get you fired up as we sit here in February,” Gardner said. “To get where we are right now required such a tremendous amount of work from every section on this base. It’s not just the proximity to the iron; if you don’t do what you do, we cannot get across the finish line.”
With his F-15 Eagle positioned directly behind him, Col. Michael “Shot” Glass, the 104FW Commander, thanked everyone in attendance and reflected on the importance of acknowledging people for their accomplishments.
“There’s a reason we in the military take the time to give decorations and awards, to recognize the hard work that we do,” Glass said. “It’s not like anybody else’s work. When you have the chance of losing your life in service of your country, you should take the time to get together, celebrate and recognize the people who are the best of the best.”
Having the F-15 as the backdrop for the speakers gave a visual nod of the jet that has defined the wing for 15 years.
The New England Air Museum, housing more than 50 years of aviation history, provided a fitting location for the event. The awards banquet occurred at the museum and reinforces the connection between the wing’s heritage and its future as preparations continue for the transition to the F-35.
Eight award categories were presented during the ceremony, recognizing outstanding performance across a range of disciplines and career fields.
The 2025 OAY winners were:
Master Sgt. Nathan Staples, a member of the awards committee, highlighted the effort that went into selecting this year’s wing recipients and the high caliber of nominees.
“Being an Outstanding Airman is no easy feat, and it takes an extraordinary amount of effort and dedication to be awarded such an honor,” Staples said. “Each member who was nominated this year did just that. They excelled in their career fields while executing the mission and supporting the F-35 conversion, which provided a long-lasting impact to the 104th Fighter Wing, which is nothing short of extraordinary.”
Staples also emphasized the importance of recognizing excellence across every career field and highlighted why the awards matter.
“Our Airmen, no matter the rank or position, do amazing things, whether it’s a crew chief performing a pre-flight inspection, CE (civil engineering) clearing snow from the runway and ramp, a pilot flying their jet, services prepping and serving meals, or any other career field executing the mission and getting the job done,” Staples said. “Everything we do as a total force is important and taking the time to celebrate and recognized the members who went above and beyond is a small way to show appreciation for all of the hard work and extraordinary effort each nominee put forth over the last calendar year.”
One of the evening’s award winners, 1st Sgt. Howard “Howie” Passley, said what a surprise it was to win in his category.
“I really wasn’t expecting to be called. All our first sergeants are great,” Passley said. “We all look out for our Airmen, making sure they have everything they need while in uniform and in their regular lives.”
Passley, who is from the 104th Medical Group, won the award for first sergeant of the year, hopes junior enlisted feel they can achieve whatever they strive toward at Barnes.
“This is definitely an eye opener for young Airmen to see this is a place to grow and growth doesn’t happen overnight, but you’ll see you can thrive and to not give up on your goals,” Passley said. “Nothing is impossible. The sky’s the limit."
As the 104th Fighter Wing prepares for its transition to the F-35, events like the annual awards banquet remain essential for recognizing the dedication of its service members and contributes to the wing’s legacy. The evening served as a celebration of past accomplishments and offered a look ahead into the wing’s future.
104th Fighter Wing; Barnes Air National Guard Base; Barnestomers; Massachusetts Air National Guard; Air Force; Annual Awards Banquet
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2026 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 557710 |
| Location: | WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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