RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – The 86th Logistics Readiness Group held their 2025 Annual Awards and 2026 1st Quarterly Award Ceremony at the Hercules Theater at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, May 18, 2026. The ceremony recognized outstanding Airmen and civilians while marking the 15th anniversary of the passing of Airman 1st Class Zachary Ryan Cuddeback.
Among the honors presented was the Cuddeback Award, named for Cuddeback, a vehicle operator dispatcher assigned to the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron who was killed on March 2, 2011, during a terrorist attack at Frankfurt Airport, Germany. Cuddeback was at the wheel of a bus, transporting fellow Airmen toward Ramstein Air Base, when a gunman boarded the vehicle and opened fire, killing him and Senior Airman Nicholas Alden, wounding two others. He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart.
Senior Airman Joan Perez, 86th Munitions Squadron munitions inspector, was selected to receive the Cuddeback Award during the ceremony. After learning the story behind the honor, Perez reflected that Cuddeback represented something every Airman could recognize: Someone who showed up, did the job, and served without hesitation, even far from home.
"Receiving this award means a lot, especially learning the story behind it," said Perez. "Airman Cuddeback embodied what it means to be dedicated to this team and to this mission, and that is something every one of us can carry forward."
U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Wolff, 86th LRG commander, closed the ceremony by tying the day's recognition back to the legacy Cuddeback, reminding those in attendance that the award is not just about individual achievement but about the kind of Airmen the 86th LRG continues to build.
"Airman Cuddeback, he was a volunteer. He raised his right hand and gave that ultimate sacrifice," said Wolff. "You all didn't make it about yourselves, you made it about us. You made it about the Air Force, the LRG, and about this team, and this team is a community."