Airman from 28th Munitions Squadron wins AF-level award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Abigail Klein
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  When Senior Airman Jacob Frank, 28th Munitions Squadron conventional maintenance crew member, recently received a call from his commander that he had won the 2008 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Award as the outstanding Munitions and Missile Maintenance technician, he was surprised to say the least.

The news was perplexing to Airmen Frank, who despite being honored by the news, felt the accomplishments he had made to earn the award were merely a part of fulfilling his duties as a member of the Air Force.

"Every one of us knew what we were getting into when we raised our hand to serve our country, it's what we do, and we love it," Airmen Frank said.

The award, which recognizes Airmen who have demonstrated the highest degree of sustained job performance, job knowledge, job efficiency and results in the categories of aircraft, munitions, missile and communications-electronics maintenance, required him to travel to Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., where he received the award personally from the now retired General Marquez.

Though Airmen Frank was surprised, the revelation he had won, was no shock to those who work with him.

"Airman Frank more than qualifies for this award," said 1st Lt. Russell Williams, 28th Munitions Squadron Production Flight commander. "He has complete devotion to the mission, is always willing to go above and beyond, and he lives by our core values.

Airmen Frank demonstrated this devotion by volunteering for two back-to-back six-month deployments with 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron in Southwest Asia, Lieutenant Williams said.

The decision to volunteer for both deployments was motivated primarily by Airman Frank's desire to perform his job, building and delivering bombs to B-1s, with other servicemembers downrange, Airmen Frank said.

While deployed to Southwest Asia, Airmen Frank contributed to today's fight by assembling more than 1,000 Joint Direct Task Attack Munitions for more than 600 B-1B Lancer missions with a weapons reliability rate of 99 percent and building 304 general purpose bombs with zero defects, supporting more than 157 training sorties. Airman Frank also aided in making history by helping build a precision guided bomb unit for the first combat expenditure with B-1 Sniper Pod.

Along with volunteering for deployments and providing support downrange, Airmen Frank has also devoted his time to activities within the local community. Before his deployments, he was an active member of the South Dakota Men's Soccer League and was also involved in coaching a children's soccer league at Ellsworth.

Airmen Frank's involvement with these activities, compounded with his work ethic here and during his deployment, cemented his reputation with his peers and supervisors as a positive example of an Airman.

"Airmen Frank's dedication and job performance have been exemplary. It's been a pleasure serving with him, and I wish him the best of luck in his future assignments," Lieutenant Williams said.

Airmen Frank plans to build upon his record at his new duty station at Osan Air Base, South Korea.

"I look at it this way; what you've accomplished in the past, or failed to, does not define who you are, but rather serves as a testament to what you can endure, and the things your past has taught you," Airmen Frank said. "My personal success and mistakes serve to remind me of what I'm capable of; and to motivate me to face any task or challenge that lay before me with the upmost confidence and determination to do my absolute best, without the fear of failure, because we all have, and we all will."