Airmen, Sailors graduate from leadership school Published Feb. 19, 2016 By Airman Leadership School TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Thirty-four Airmen and three Sailors graduated from Tinker's Airman Leadership School Feb. 11. Graduates and award winners are: Strategic Communications Wing ONE Petty Officer 3rd Class Christina Avila Petty Officer 3rd Class Ray Bolton Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Hicks, Sharp Image Award 25th Aerial Port Squadron Senior Airman Montaski McCoy 72nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron Senior Airman Nathan Wilson, Distinguished Graduate Award 72nd Comptroller Squadron Senior Airman Darius Lester 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Senior Airman Trevor Caldwell 72nd Medical Operations Squadron Senior Airman Andre Conley, John L. Levitow Award Senior Airman Jaron Mehm Senior Airman Jordan Stafford 72nd Security Forces Squadron Senior Airman Trenton Winters 137th Logistics Readiness Squadron Senior Airman Travis Hilgenberg 137th Maintenance Squadron Senior Airman Jacob Suddath 146th Air Support Operations Squadron Senior Airman Mitchell Keith 507th Force Support Squadron Senior Airman Quinton Sanders 507th Logistics Readiness Squadron Senior Airman Jason Salvatori Senior Airman Kristoffer Schaffler 552nd Air Control Wing Senior Airman Lara Kaglic 552nd Air Control Networks Squadron Senior Airman Shelby Koch, Leadership Award Senior Airman Kyle Sadler 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Senior Airman Larry Coffie, Freedom Citation Award Senior Airman Kyle Ebert, Distinguished Graduate Award Senior Airman Jacob Standley Senior Airman James Thompson 552nd Maintenance Group Senior Airman Michael Lupian 552nd Maintenance Squadron Senior Airman Jarred Edwards Senior Airman Jason Smith Senior Airman Jason Swain Senior Airman Caleb Wells Senior Airman Brian Yarbrough 552nd Operations Support Squadron Senior Airman Manuel Rivera 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron Senior Airman Jessica Krist 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron Senior Airman Jacob Boyd Senior Airman Zachary Ferris Senior Airman Keith Miranda 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron Senior Airman Adam Tilden 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron Senior Airman Kenneth Beresh 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron Senior Airman Joseph Belden, Academic Achievement and Distinguished Graduate Awards Freedom Citation Senior Airman Larry Coffie 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron When I think of freedom, the first thing that always pops in my mind is my father. My father is an immigrant from a country called Sierra Leone in West Africa. Growing up I saw my dad work three jobs and go to school full time all while taking care of my mom, my sisters, and me. He would work and work all to afford a two bedroom apartment in one of the poorest parts of the city. I would always ask my sisters why did our parents move here if this is the life we were living. Why didn't they just stay in Sierra Leone? Is living here really worth all the stress my father went through daily? One day my father overheard me saying these things and called my sisters and me into the living room. He sat us down and said, "I want you guys to watch something." He turned on this video and I couldn't believe what I saw. It was a documentary of the rebel war that went on in Sierra Leone. The video showed children no older than 10 mutilating their own families. Children would ask people if they wanted a long sleeve or short sleeve, after they picked, they would either chop the arm off at the elbow or the shoulder. It was the most graphic video I have ever seen. At the end of the video my dad raised his shirt and showed us his back. He had scars and burns from growing up in Sierra Leone. He said, "Kwesi where I'm from freedom is not an option. Working hard is something we did to survive. In America hard work can make your dreams come true, this is what I call freedom.'' Today my dad owns a life insurance company in Atlanta. He no longer works three jobs or lives in a two bedroom apartment. Freedom saved my family and gave my father a chance to live in a nation that was not plagued by civil war. I will never take freedom for granted and I'm proud to be an American.