YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The people who help tell Yokota’s story from behind the scenes were recognized for their work during the recently released 2004 Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs Excellence Awards.
A busy year — including more than 50 community relations events, a 21,000-gallon fuel spill, three helicopter precautionary landings, and humanitarian relief efforts in Japan and South Asia — kept the staff hopping, according to Capt. David Westover, 374th public affairs officer and outstanding “company grade” public affairs officer of the year.
His office earned the “small wing” director’s excellence award, the award for media relations and the award for special achievement in a crisis situation. Staff Sgt. Karen Tomasik was selected wing outstanding public affairs noncommissioned officer, and Airman 1st Class Katie Thomas was named outstanding public affairs airman.
Col. Mark Schissler, 374th Airlift Wing commander, was given a special achievement award for “commander support.”
Westover attributes the wing’s success to the people who work for him.
“I’m fortunate enough to lead an incredible staff,” he said. He called Thomas and Tomasik “great strategic thinkers and planners.”
He also said his Japanese staff members are often in the office “longer than I am.”
Westover also thanked Schissler for his support.
“He fully supports the PA mission and knows the value of it,” Westover said of Schissler.
Westover’s staff worked 34 major stories during the year and answered more than 800 news queries.
They also improved, Westover said.
After the first precautionary landing, Westover admits he was a “bit slow to get info out.” But he used the experience to map out a checklist. When the second incident occurred, Westover and a translator were on one of the first helicopters to the scene to speak to the Japanese press and express base concerns.
Westover also said the base community relations events helped in the overall awards. He pointed to the more than 130,000 visitors at the Friendship Festival and about 2,000 visitors who came to the base for Halloween trick-or-treating.
The United States Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia, based at Yokota, also was honored in the awards. The band earned a special achievement award for its Operation Pacific Greetings program and Senior Airman Natalie Madison was named outstanding band airman.
Public affairs unit awards
Public affairs director’s excellence award, large wing (base population equal to or more than 4,001): 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan
Public affairs director’s excellence award, small wing (base population equal to or less than 4,000): 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
Public affairs director’s excellence award for community relations: 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, South Korea
Public affairs director’s excellence award for media relations: 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
Public affairs director’s excellence award for internal information: 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
Public affairs director’s excellence award for special achievement, planned single event, program or product: Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, for Resultant Fury; USAF Band of the Pacific-Asia, Yokota Air Base, Japan, for Operation Pacific Greetings; and 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, for Special Olympics
Public affairs director’s excellence award for special achievement in a crisis situation: 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
Public affairs individual awards
Outstanding public affairs field grade officer: (a) Major Command — Lt. Col. Stephen Clutter, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; (b) Wing — Maj. Michael Paoli, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
Outstanding public affairs company grade officer: (a) Major Command — Capt. David Faggard, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Forces Base, Hawaii; (b) Wing — Capt. David Westover, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
Outstanding public affairs intermediate grade civilian (GS-9 to GS-11): Jon Scudder, 3rd Wing, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
Outstanding host nation employee of the year: Kyoko Hasegawa, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan
Outstanding public affairs senior noncommissioned officer: (a) Major Command — Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; (b) Wing — Master Sgt. Andrew Gates, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
Outstanding public affairs noncommissioned officer: (a) Major Command — Staff Sgt. Martin Jackson, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; (b) Wing — Staff Sgt. Karen Tomasik, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
Outstanding public affairs airman: Airman 1st Class Katie Thomas, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
Outstanding Reserve component public affairs officer: Maj. Richard Sater, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Forces Base, Hawaii
Outstanding band officer: Capt. Jeffrey Warner, USAF Band of the Pacific-Pacific Air Forces, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
Outstanding band senior noncommissioned officer: Senior Master Sgt. David Long, USAF Band of the Pacific-Pacific Air Forces, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
Outstanding band noncommissioned officer: Staff Sgt. John Pranter, USAF Band of the Pacific-Pacific Air Forces, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
Outstanding band airman: Senior Airman Natalie Madison, USAF Band of the Pacific-Asia, Yokota Air Base, Japan
Outstanding contribution to public affairs: Senior Airman Mary Hubbard, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
Special achievement for commander support: Col. Mark Schissler, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
— Provided by the 374th Airlift Wing
