Community, base honor annual award winners at banquet

  • Published
  • By Maj. Brooke Cortez
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Members from the 482nd Fighter Wing, Special Operations Command South, U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team, Florida Air National Guard and local community came together in a joint award ceremony April 11.

The South Dade Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee's 16th Annual Awards Banquet was held in the Community Activity Center to honor the outstanding military and civilian performers from 2014. Each year the 482nd FW and the MAC jointly organize the annual awards banquet, bringing together tenant units, the wing and community to honor outstanding performers.

Local businesses, governments, elected officials and military units contributed the awards and sponsorships to the event. Additionally, many community leaders attended the ceremony including Mayor of the City of Homestead, Jeff Porter.

The keynote speaker for the event was retired Gen. Douglas Fraser. Since retiring, General Fraser works as a global security consultant with several U.S. defense companies. His last assignment in the Air Force was as Commander, U.S. Southern Command, responsible for U.S. military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. In this capacity, the general was responsible for leading Department of Defense relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The theme of the banquet was "Strengthening our Partnerships" in light of Air Force program to partner with the local community and federal agencies through the P4 initiative, or Public-Public, Public-Private Partnership. During the banquet, he spoke of the three elements to effective partnerships.

Determining the purpose of the partnership, maintaining and fostering key relationships and measuring progress were the three elements discussed by Fraser that are important to building effective partnerships.

"Partnerships are very important," Fraser said. "From a U.S. military standpoint, it is the way we will conduct military combat operations in the future. We can learn from one another, here in Homestead and anywhere in the world we go on how to build those relationships and how to increase the fidelity of those relationships as we go forward."

The night was concluded with remarks from 482nd FW vice commander and host, Col. Michael Hernandez, who congratulated the award winners and nominees and thanked the MAC, award presenters and sponsors for their support of the event and Homestead ARB.

The MAC has supported the military mission and military quality of life for over 44 years, and the awards banquet is just one event of many the committee works to put together. The MAC is comprised of up to 50 civic and local leaders who meet monthly to discuss issues relating to the civilian-military relationship, according to their mission statement.

Below is the complete list of 2014 annual award winners, category and unit.

- 482nd FW Airman: Senior Airman Luis A. Gordo, 482nd Force Support Squadron

- 482nd FW Noncommissioned Officer: Master Sgt. Randi M. Ferebee, 482nd Force Support Squadron

- 482nd FW Senior Noncommissioned Officer: Senior Master Sgt. Francisco Gonzalez, 482nd Civil Engineering Squadron

- 482nd FW Company Grade Officer: Capt. Ryan M. Liss, 482nd Communications Squadron

- 482nd FW First Sergeant: Senior Master Sgt. Ana B. Zeinieh, 482nd Security Forces Squadron

- 482nd FW Civilian, Category I: Ms. Amanda C. Edmondson, 482nd Maintenance Group

- 482nd FW Civilian, Cat II: Ms. Randi M. Ferebee, 482nd Force Support Squadron

- 482nd FW Civilian, Cat III: Mr. Jeffrey J. Vaughn, 482nd Fighter Wing

- Air Defense Warrior: Staff Sgt. Daniel T. Garner, Det. 1, 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard

- U.S. Coast Guard Sailor of the Year: Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamel Chokr

- Special Operations Command South Military Member: Spc. Nathan Downs

- Special Operations Command South Civilian Member: Mr. Scott Bell