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    307th Bomb Wing honors outstanding Airmen at its first annual awards banquet

    307th Bomb Wing honors outstanding Airmen at its first annual awards banquet

    Photo By Senior Airman Alicia Thomas | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Smith, 307th Force Support Squadron first sergeant,...... read more read more

    UNITED STATES

    03.08.2026

    Story by Senior Airman Alicia Thomas 

    307th Bomb Wing

    BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La.—The 307th Bomb Wing recognized its top performing Airmen during its inaugural annual awards banquet here March 7, 2026, celebrating outstanding performance and dedication across the wing.

    The event marked the first time the wing replaced its traditional Commander’s Call announcement with a formal banquet designed to highlight accomplishments and excellence across multiple career fields and recognize Airmen and civilians whose achievements contributed to the wing’s mission success.

    Col. Beth Hart, 307th Mission Support Group Commander, noted that the recognition reflects the collective success of the entire unit, emphasizing that mission accomplishment relies on the dedication and teamwork of Airmen across all specialties.

    “The team in this room, the nominees, and the award winners, you all have been setting the example for those around you,” said Hart. “You’re showing that you’re prepared, you’re showing that you’re putting your best foot forward every single day. And I could not be prouder of every single one of you.” The banquet included dinner, formal recognition of nominees and award recipients, and remarks from wing leadership highlighting the importance of recognizing excellence and reinforcing a culture of professionalism and mission readiness.

    “Recognition is important because it’s giving back to the Airmen who put in the hard work,” said Master. Sgt Christopher McnNeal, 307th Logistics Readiness Squadron Superintendent of the Deployment and Distribution Flight. “Sometimes, they go a long period of time and they’re putting in the work, but no one is telling them how good of job they’re doing. So, it’s important to take time out, like we did tonight, and sit down and just give back to the Airmen that’s putting in the work to support the overall mission.”

    In addition to honoring individual performance, the banquet served as an opportunity for Airmen and leaders across the wing to connect, reflect on the past year’s accomplishments, and strengthen esprit de corps within the organization.

    Throughout the evening, several award categories were announced recognizing exceptional service, leadership, and job performance.

    Award recipients include:

    • Airmen of the Year: Staff Sgt. Jacob Hardel, 307th Operations Support Squadron
    • Noncommissioned Officer of The Year: Tech. Sgt. Justin Chatman, 307th Civil Engineering Squadron
    • Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Christopher McNeal, 307th Logistics Readiness Squadron
    • Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Lane Musgrave, 489th Bomb Group
    • Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Chad Loup, 489th Bomb Group
    • First Sergeant of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Felicia Gaytan, 307th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
    • Civilian Of the Year- Category 1: Kayla Warren, 307th Operations Group
    • Civilian Of the Year- Category 2: Kurtis McClure, 307th Mission Support Group

    Award Winners were selected based on their demonstrated leadership, professional achievements and impact on mission readiness throughout the fiscal year.

    The Airmen of the Year selected during the banquet will now advance to compete at the Numbered Air Force Level where they will represent the 307th Bomb Wing among top performing Airmen from across the command.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.08.2026
    Date Posted: 03.08.2026 15:50
    Story ID: 559656
    Location: US

    Web Views: 102
    Downloads: 0

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