Senior Master Sgt. Curtis Downey keeps his head down, but the results of his work are hard to miss.
Downey, the senior enlisted leader for Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) in the 307th Operations Support Squadron, has been named the Air Force Reserve Command’s 2025 Outstanding AFE Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
“Curtis has a huge depth of experience that makes him a true subject matter expert in the Aircrew Flight Equipment field,” said Lt. Col. Kenny Squires, 307th Operations Support Squadron director of operations. “That, combined with his leadership as superintendent, allows him to run a section that develops Citizen Airmen in the AFE career field, effectively trains Formal Training Unit (FTU) aircrew, and supports flight line operations.”
Squires said the 307th Bomb Wing AFE section has consistently been recognized as top performers during exercises and inspections, crediting Downey’s leadership.
AFE specialists equip and safeguard aircrew by inspecting, packing and maintaining mission-essential survival and safety gear, including parachutes and drag chutes, which helps ensure B-52 aircrew can train, deploy and fly safely across routine operations, exercises and real-world taskings.
Despite the recognition, Downey said the announcement caught him off guard.
“By the time I get to work, my phone is going off from other superintendents at other Reserve bases,” Downey said. “When I logged into my computer, that’s when I saw the official email from our MAJCOM that listed me as a winner. I was shocked.”
“I didn’t have a clue,” he added. “I was very humbled because it’s a competitive process to receive the title.”
The AFRC Outstanding AFE SNCO of the Year award draws entries from across the command, and judges review a large number of packages to identify candidates who demonstrate sustained excellence in leadership, mission impact and professional development.
Downey’s package reflected those qualities, including his leadership during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. He led a four-member team supporting the 343rd Bomb Squadron, delivered life-sustaining training to 35 aviators, and oversaw equipment reconfiguration for six KC-135 aircrew, enabling multiple sorties during the event.
For Downey, recognition is secondary to readiness and the people who make it happen.
“I want to make sure that they have the tools and resources they need to do their job, not just from a work standpoint, but outside of work as well,” he said. “My main priority is my people because I’ve always been a big advocate of taking care of your people, and they’ll take care of you.”
He said that mindset shows up in small, consistent ways, from regular check-ins with Airmen to helping new parents in the shop and being present when someone needs support.
“He is a mentor who invests time and energy into developing his team,” Squires said. “This has created a capable and efficient workforce in the OSS that always meets mission requirements.”
Downey’s focus on mentorship traces back to his early days in the career field. As the youngest Airman in his shop, he said he learned quickly that progress came from being self-driven and intentional.
From there, he pursued professional military education, completed college and sought out resources he now shares with his team.
“I took it upon myself when I accepted the position of a leader to advocate for my Airmen,” Downey said. “I just let them know what I did, why it’s important, and I just remain open and transparent with them.”
Looking ahead, Downey said his goal is to keep developing Airmen so the section remains ready, structured and resilient.
“I don’t want to leave knowing that I didn’t take care of anybody or everything that I was supposed to,” he said. “I want to hand it off to where it’s already established so they can take everything that I’ve done and run with it.”