AF honors AFDW Airman as an OAY

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Air Force leadership selected an Air Force District of Washington Airman as one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. The 12 OAY program awards the best Airmen in the Air Force for their leadership, performance and personal achievements.

Tech. Sgt. Adam Gomez, 3rd Combat Camera Squadron Maintenance Flight NCO in charge, is one of several members of AFDW geographically separated from the National Capital Region. He serves at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

"When my commander and chief enlisted manager told me I had been selected as one of the 12 OAY, it took a few minutes for me to really believe them," Gomez said.

Gomez accredits his Air Force-level recognition to the hard work and dedication of all the men and women who worked with him at Armed Forces Network Afghanistan.

"I truly could not have done any of these things without them," said the native of Rochester, N.Y. "The team of 12 maintainers I worked with last year in Afghanistan were incredible. Every ounce of this award is as much theirs as it is mine - including the Soldiers and Sailors. I am proud to be recognized for our work, and I have already let each of them know that this award belongs to all of us."

During his deployment to Afghanistan, his team supported more than 600 Forward Operating Bases and maintained $8 million of AFN equipment for U.S. Forces Afghanistan in the six regional commands.

As his team traveled across the country they were able to establish new AFN services at 137 locations. Their mission kept them outside of the wire for 127 days. Gomez's actions during five separate fire-fight attacks earned him an Air Force Combat Action Medal.

"Our team in Afghanistan worked hard each and every day," he said. "We traveled to more FOBs and COPs than I care to even count. We could have used twice the manning we had, but we made it work."

Despite the long duty hours and travel requirements during his deployment, Gomez still found time to complete 15 semester hours toward his bachelor's degree while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He also ran four marathons and supported a Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" event, where he led a six-person volunteer team.

"He is the most well rounded, enthusiastic and dedicated member of the Air Force I have met," said Master Sgt. Antonio Propst, 3rd CTCS additional duty first sergeant. "His reliability and drive to complete any task given made him the most valuable member of our team."

Without the stateside support from his units, the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron and Air Force Public Affairs Agency, he would not have received this recognition, said Gomez.

"I have to give praise not only to the guys in my shop, but to my chain of command who felt strongly enough to submit me for this award," he said.

Gomez, and the 11 other OAY, will be recognized this September at an annual Air Force Association conference in Washington, D.C.