Photo By Senior Airman Juliana Todd | The 908th Flying Training Wing 2025 Annual Award Winners graphic is designed to...... read more read more
The 908th Flying Training Wing recognized and honored the outstanding achievements of its top-performing Airmen and community partners of 2025 during the wing's annual awards banquet at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa in Montgomery, Alabama, June 7, 2026.
The event, themed “All About Us: Our Time, Our Team, Our Impact,” brought together dozens of families, friends, and community leaders to celebrate a year of high performance, camaraderie, and military excellence.
The evening commenced with a social hour, followed by the formal arrival of the award nominees and the official party, which included the 908th FTW Commander, Col. Shane Devlin and his wife; the 908th FTW Deputy Commander, Col. Amy Meier and her husband; and the 908th FTW Wing Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. William Simurra.
Following their arrival, Senior Airman Darron Nichols and Senior Airman Ramon Ricard performed the national anthem, and the 908th FTW Chaplain, Maj. Dorn Muscar, delivered the invocation. Members then watched the traditional Prisoner of War/Missing in Action table ceremony, a symbolic tribute dedicated to remembering fallen and missing comrades.
During his opening remarks, Devlin emphasized that the wing’s success relies heavily on the dedication of its members, many of whom face significant travel demands to serve, as well as the deep ties to local community partners.
"I tell people time and time again that 70% of my organization lives outside of 50 nautical miles, and they take the time and effort to commute in to do the hard work that we ask them," said Devlin. "Thirty percent live outside of 150 miles. If that doesn't tell you the dedication, the fortitude, and the desire to be here of the people that make up this fine organization, I don't know what does."
Devlin also took time to thank the 908th First Sergeant’s Council, the annual awards banquet committee, hotel staff, and the local sponsors who made the evening possible.
"The strength of our wing doesn't just come from the Airmen in uniform; it comes from the unwavering support of the local organizations and leaders who stand firmly behind us," Devlin added. "Everybody wants to look on the flight line and see the pretty, shiny toy, but it takes an entire organization to make sure that that aircraft moves one inch off of where it is. Every individual here plays a vital role to ensure that we're able to accomplish the mission."
The ceremony, emceed by Master Sgt. Briahna Williams and Master Sgt. Avian Shine, featured a special video presentation highlighting the wing's accomplishments over the past year before transitioning to the reveal of the category winners.
Closing out the night, Devlin reminded attendees of the real-world impact of the wing's mission, noting that while one-third of the wing focuses on its role as a flying training unit, two-thirds remain a combat-deployable force answering the nation's call, with members currently deployed downrange.
"As we celebrate tonight, I want you to think about the gravity of the situation, about what takes place and what it takes to make this organization a fine organization," said Devlin. "This is truly for you, and because of the outstanding work that each of the men and women in this organization has done over the past year."
The 2025 annual award winners are:
Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Timothy Tapia, 908th Logistics Readiness Squadron
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Elissa Evans, 908th Operations Support Squadron
Senior NCO of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Robert Kohlenberg, 908th OSS
Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Viki Bloemker, 908th LRS
Civilian Category II of the Year: Mr. Michael Coleman, 908th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Civilian Category III of the Year: Mr. Brad Clark, 908th Flying Training Wing
First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Daunte Saloy, 908th OSS
Unit of the Year: 908th LRS
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2026 14:52 |
| Story ID: | 567358 |
| Location: | MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, All About Us: 908th FTW Celebrates 2025 Annual Award Winners, by SrA Juliana Todd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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