Excellence and readiness in the Barksdale Air Force Base Command Post have become routine.
Since 2019, at least one Airman from the section has earned major command honors. Tech. Sgt. Thomas Roberts and Master Sgt. Clint Melancon, both assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing, retained the streak in 2025.
Roberts earned the Air Force Reserve Command C2 Operations Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 2025 title, while Melancon won the same award at the Senior NCO level.
“It’s not about awards, it’s about setting an example for the whole team,” said Melancon. “They see these awards and it helps reinforce the idea that our command post has to meet a high standard so we can be better than our adversaries.”
The command post serves as the nerve center for Barksdale operations, delivering information and recommendations that support leaders across the installation and beyond.
According to Melancon, the command post’s efforts support the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Force Reserve Command, 10th Air Force, and 8th Air Force.
He said this level of responsibility relies heavily on a Total Force Integration model with their active-duty counterparts in the 2nd Bomb Wing.
“We are lucky to have such a strong TFI in the command post because we can’t set the standard without having everyone on board,” said Melancon.
According to Roberts, that standard was evident the day he arrived.
“When I reported in 2022, it was clear how important everyone viewed the mission,” he said. “I could see what the standard was, and everyone exhibited the same qualities.”
Those qualities proved vital during an unauthorized drone detection here March 9.
The command post quickly pushed information across the base, allowing units to protect personnel and quickly secure millions of dollars in government assets.
“The pressure is high here,” said Roberts, who heads up training for command post personnel. “So we are constantly training on different scenarios and testing on them.”
Melancon and Roberts seem to thrive on that pressure, and that attitude has helped them have a professional impact far beyond Barksdale Air Force Base, said Senior Master Sgt. Nicholas Vanni, Barksdale Command Post superintendent.
“Tech. Sgt. Roberts was requested by name to participate in Air Force Global Strike’s Policy and Procedures Team to help develop training products for their inspection at Kirtland Air Force Base,” said Vanni.
Vanni said Melancon was also requested by name to help assess the next phase of the Global Aircrew Strategic Network Terminal, a combat communication system designed to survive chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-altitude electromagnetic pulse environments.
“Melancon was selected because of his extensive knowledge of the system and his role in helping to develop it,” said Vanni. “It’s a Department of War-wide project spanning multiple years, and he is considered a subject matter expert on it.”
Melancon emphasized that those efforts reflect more than individual recognition.
He said they point to a culture that values preparation, teamwork, and mission focus, then passes those habits to the next generation of Airmen.
“It’s about being the best in the fight,” said Melancon. “Our Airmen know who and what we are up against and we have to be better.”