Faces of the Force

Senior Airman Kenia Sinclair, a religious affairs Airman assigned to the 628th Air Base Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., is a four-time Olympian, representing Jamaica. She moved to the U.S. in 1999 with a track scholarship to Seton Hall University. After competing in four Olympic Games and signing a Nike contract, Sinclair made a promise to herself: “I would serve the country that paved the way for my success,” she said. “I was able to go to college, my tuition was paid for with an athletic scholarship, and I was able to buy a house and my dream car. America did all this for me.”

Air Force veteran crew chief Richard Devine’s interest was piqued recently when he found a news story about a KC-135 Stratotanker he once crewed over 60 years ago. The aircraft was still in service and stationed in nearby Sioux City, Iowa. “I was wondering if there is any chance this 82-year-old veteran could tour 057?” Devine wrote to the Iowa Air Guard. There was. He and the aircraft’s current crew met on the flight line in Sioux City. During Devine’s time in the Air Force, the KC-135 was one of the newest aircraft in the inventory, making him part of a unique club of first-generation KC-135 crew members.

Tech. Sgt. Kara Clum, a material manager with the 126th Supply Chain Operations Squadron, is the 2022 Air National Guard Athlete of the Year. Clum served almost 15 years in the Air Force before joining the Illinois Air National Guard. An avid runner, she began lifting weights while stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. She moved to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and became a competitive bodybuilder. “I kind of just transformed my body over the years and ended up winning three overalls in the past two years,” Clum said. She now plans to get her International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation Pro Card.

With 17 years of Air National Guard military intelligence experience, Master Sgt. Paul Noel recently shared his expertise with the Qatari military through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. An intelligence specialist for the 167th Operations Support Squadron, Noel was one of seven U.S. military representatives to provide training to the Qatar Military Intelligence and Security Authority in Doha, Qatar, in March. The training focused on joint military doctrine and the critical role military intelligence analysts play in joint operational planning and Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment.

Master Sgt. Zachary Cooper, a Tactical Systems Operator who was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2019, received the Distinguished Flying Cross in March for his actions during a force protection patrol in Helmand Province. As the sole armed overhead asset, Cooper’s crew provided ISR, airborne command and control, casualty evacuation, and armed overwatch for more than 180 U.S. and partner ground forces under heavy enemy fire. “It was one of those nights, like many others, where things just clicked for us as a team,” he said.

Dwayne Pangelinan, 36th Security Forces Squadron supervisory police officer, received a Medal of Valor for his actions during two incidents. “I was just in the right place, at the right time,” Pangelinan said. He said that some Airmen undergo a lot of distress, especially being away from family, and while some can withstand it, others turn to unhealthy methods to deal with problems. This is his third Medal of Valor award. “Helping people, that’s my favorite part of the job,” he said. “I was lucky to be there in both instances and both Airmen are alive and OK today.”

Maj. Matthew Bryant, a 914th Wing chaplain, received the Military Chaplains Association Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes ministry excellence of chaplains across DOD and is presented annually during the MCA National Institute. Bryant credited the award to those working with him at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y., chapel. “Sometimes my name gets put onto some things we did as a team, and it represents a team effort … and how we have a unique service when it comes to caring for and supporting our Airmen.” Bryant said. “It’s an award that is born out of love.”

First Lt. Kristin Eslinger, a mission management operator at 2nd Space Warning Squadron, Buckley Space Force Base, Colo., has been a part of the Space Delta 4 missile warning mission for two years. She is striving for something bigger than herself that allows her to give back. That ideology has reigned true as she has served on a team that has seen a record number of missile launches. She was recently accepted into graduate school, where she hopes to advance her career and ensure the Space Force has the best capabilities that will guarantee missile warning, defense, and battlespace awareness.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Conway, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., is revolutionizing Team Charleston’s abilities through 3D printing. Conway has helped improve unit effectiveness since becoming an intern at the Palmetto Innovation Spark Lab. “I designed an adjustment to a pressure sensor for the 628th Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight,” Conway said. “Making some manipulations, it was able to read the air pressure properly.” In addition to innovating multiple resources on base, Conway’s designs are cost-effective.

A 127th Wing Defender completed the “10 toughest days in the Army” in March. Senior Airman Joe Fitzgerald, a member of the 127th Security Forces Squadron at Selfridge ANGB, Mich. , became one of the relatively few Air National Guard Airmen authorized to wear the Air Assault Badge. During the two-week training at the Army Warrior Training Center, Fort Benning, Ga., students received instruction in how to transport supplies via helicopters in a contested environment, how to create and secure landing zones, and conduct offensive and defensive operations.