Faces of the Force

Chief Master Sgt. Maurice L. Williams became the 13th command chief master sergeant of the ANG during an Oct. 9 ceremony at the Pentagon. “He’s an Airman’s Airman—he’s been there on the front lines,” ANG Director Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh said at the event. Williams said the command team’s priorities include professional development, promoting innovation, equipping Airmen to be resilient, and assessing “policies and force structure” to meet the mission requirements. 

Airmen and F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., deployed in October to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. The 77th Fighter and 77th Fighter Generation Squadrons will provide combat air  power to help make the region more stable and secure by patrolling the skies, delivering precision airstrikes, and training with regional partners to maximize capabilities, said 77th Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. David Bennett.

ACC  fuels acquisition technician Tech. Sgt. Justin Chong is the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Air Force Military Citizen of the Year. The award recognizes Airmen who excel at their jobs on-duty and perform community outreach during downtime. His track record includes getting his flight committed to regular clean-ups with the Hampton Clean City Commission and taking part in this year’s Virginia Waterways Cleanup. 

Senior Master Sgt. Robert Yarnes, a division manager at Joint Task Force–Space Defense at Schriever AFB, Colo., was one of the first Space Force troops to graduate from the Air Force Senior NCO Academy. The school’s focus on cultivating innovation and agility “will be critical moving forward, … as operating in such a complex domain such as space demands that the U.S. brings to bear lethal and credible reasons to deter potential adversaries,” he said.

The Boys & Girls Club of America recently recognized Alexia Jordan as Delaware Military Youth of the Year and Northeast Military Youth of the Year. The awards recognize military teens who attend on-base youth centers, excel at academics, and are committed to serving their communities. “We are honored to have Alexia and her mother as part of the Dover [AFB] family,” said 436th Mission Support Group Commander Col. Phelemon Williams.