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72nd ABW members earn Wildcatter Awards

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  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Four members of the 72nd Air Base Wing recently received Wildcatter Awards from 72nd ABW Commander Col. Steven Bleymaier.

Jacquanna Whitfield has performed her duties as the sports director at the Tinker Youth Center since July 2011. During this time she increased sports participation by 50 percent as well as increasing the number of sports offered.

Ms. Whitfield immediately established a great rapport with the children, parents, coaches and fellow staff. She was recently promoted to the assistant director position at the CDC East. In addition to working full-time at CDCE, Ms. Whitfield is also fulfilling her role as the sports director until her replacement arrives. She also attends school full-time to complete her Master's degree.

Airman 1st Class Maria Murillo's phenomenal professional skills led to the MPS Force Management section's outstanding Classifications, Evaluations and Special Duty Assignment programs. With only a few months of time on station and during a manning shortage, the Force Management apprentice single-handedly scrutinized 10 management assessment quality products, executed 2,343 transactions register reviews and updated 240 inbound personnel records. She provided guidance to 23 unit personnel contacts ensuring more than 770 duty titles, position numbers and duty Air Force Specialty Codes were updated flawlessly and in a timely manner. Additionally, Airman Murillo safeguarded the Air Force Special Duty Assignment program by assuring monthly certifications were conducted by unit commanders and proper pay entitlements were processed.

Rhonda Balsley excelled in the performance of her duties as 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineering Directorate Service Contracts Quality Assurance team lead in February. During this time, she sacrificed significant personal time during a holiday weekend to respond to a flood event. She immediately engaged a contractor to tailor a service contract mitigating water damage to approximately 4,000 square feet of the 10th Flight Test Squadron area and a satellite fire station and bunk rooms. CE senior management hand-selected Ms. Balsley for her vision and forward-thinking skills to flesh out an unprecedented partnership agreement with local community officials to tackle base refuse management. Among other contracts, she is a heavy contributor to the development of a new five-year, $7.4 million protective coatings service contract. Her particularly deep knowledge of a wide variety of service contracts and skillful interaction with various levels of stakeholders greatly benefit Tinker AFB by enabling timely and effective contract implementation.

Tech. Sgt. Shanda Rader, 72nd CE, has been an Airman Dorm Leader since December 2011. Sergeant Rader offset budget woes by devoting more than 40 off duty hours to single handedly paint six dormitory modules saving the Air Force $4,800. Additionally, she advocated for dormitory quality of life improvements, garnering $74,000 in Air Force Materiel Command, Command Chief funding to remove wall carpet and paint 26 modules. Furthermore, Sergeant Rader attended the SARC forum and up channeled concerns to secure a $155,000 contract to repair 50 existing exterior lights and install nine additional light poles safeguarding 106 single female Airmen across campus.