CMSgt. Mike Ramos, an Air Force Special Operations Command combat controller, has received the Legion of Merit to honor his more than 30 years as a leader in special tactics operations. AFSOC boss Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster noted at the Jan. 5 ceremony that the LOM generally goes to successful wing commanders and to command chiefs “extremely rarely.” AFSOC command chief CMSgt. Mike Gilbert summed up, “It is exceptional, but so was Chief Ramos’ service.” Gilbert called Ramos “one of the very top chiefs in special tactics” who clearly had a broad impact on the force. Throughout his career, Ramos received numerous decorations over multiple deployments, and he spearheaded expansion of AFSOC’s joint terminal attack controller roster and served as AFSOC’s first combat control functional area manager. His replacement as FAM, CMSgt. Tim Hoye called Ramos a “visionary” and the “epitome of what a chief should be.” (AFSOC report by CMSgt. Ty Foster)
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…