AFSC 3E3X1 Structural Citations

Structural Apprentice

Airman First Class Raul R. Gonzalez distinguished himself by meritorious service while assigned as Structural Apprentice, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron, 20th Mission Support Group, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, from XXXXXXXXX to XXXXXXXXX. During this period, Airman Gonzalez was instrumental in maintaining the United States Air Force's largest F-16 fighter wing with a 6.3 million dollar annual operations and maintenance budget. Airman Gonzalez demonstrated technical capability and professionalism maintaining over 500 facilities during which he increased the basewide overall customer service rating to 93 percent. Additionally, Airman Gonzalez was a vital member of a seven man crew that was responsible for contructing a 1,000 square foot Prime BEEF stand at a cost of 18,000 dollars and over 400 man hours providing a professional space for squadron functions. Finally, his exemplary performance directly contributed to the 20th Fighter Wing receiving a 99.1% compliance during the 2015 UCI, which was the highest in Air Combat Command in 11 years. The distinctive accomplishments of Airman Gonzalez reflect credit upon himself, the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Structural Journeyman

Staff Sergeant Joni L. Gomez distinguished herself by meritorious service while assigned as Structural Journeyman, 11th Civil Engineering Squadron, 11th Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland from XX XXXXXX XXXX to XX XXXXXXX XXXX. During this period, Staff Sergeant Gomez's outstanding professional performance and exceptional leadership played a major role in the successful completion of a training program designed to improve upgrade training for Airmen in the Structures career field. In addition, she was instrumental in the renovation of the Airmans Attic and Thrift Store, finishing both projects 60 days ahead of schedule. Finally, Sergeant Gomez installed sheetrock, drop ceilings and HVAC ductwork throughout the commissary, keeping all work in-house, and saving the Air Force over 250 thousand dollars in contractor costs. The distinctive accomplishments of Staff Sergeant Gomez reflect great credit upon herself and the United States Air Force.

Structural Technician

Staff Sergeant Nicholas J. Bonura distinguished himself by meritorious service while serving as Structural Technician, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron, 92nd Mission Support Group, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. During this period, Sergeant Bonura ran a six-man team, creating two new vehicle barrier plates, securing Air Force Protection levels and saving 21,000 dollars over contractor costs. Additionally, his expansive experience and ability enabled the team to construct 900 square feet of platforms for the training of 1,200 Security Forces augmentees each year. Furthermore, Sergeant Bonura's qualifications were conducive to organizing 20 volunteers to complete a three million dollar asset transfer, supporting 61 personnel with no mission delay. Moreover, his competence enabled the sealant of three flawed foundations, preserving dormitory integrity and preventing further structural damage. Additionally, Sergeant Bonura demonstrated his skills by forming a 70-member team to take on a hotel fire, saving 200 residents and earning praise from the U.S. ambassador. The distinctive accomplishments of Staff Sergeant Bonura reflect great credit upon himself, the 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Structural Craftsman

Staff Sergeant Heidi Ferguson distinguished herself by outstanding achievement while serving as Structural Craftsman, 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron, 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group, Al Udied Air Base, Qatar. While deployed, Sergeant Ferguson was instrumental in the design of a 1.7 million dollar Combined Maintenance facility at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. She utilized her structural expertise to construct a 1,025 square meter Pre-Engineered Facility to co-locate seven agencies to meet the expanding operations tempo, simplifying Close Air Support for Air Refueling operations across the entire AOR. Her impeccable structural capability led to the elimination of off-site maintenance functions and enabled hydraulic and avionics repair in one secure location, expediting aircraft repair. Additionally, Sergeant Ferguson demonstrated remarkable initiative by cutting design costs by 22,000 dollars while constructing a 2,100 square meter Fitness Complex which ultimately served 17,000 visitors monthly and eliminated overcrowding. Lastly, Sergeant Ferguson's incredible attention to detail contributed to her team earning the Red Horse squadron's Team of the Month award. The distinctive accomplishments of Staff Sergeant Ferguson reflect credit upon herself, the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron, and the United States Air Force.

Structural Craftsman

Senior Airman Ariel S. Badeo distinguished himself by outstanding achievement while serving as Structural Journeyman, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. During this period, Airman Badeo expertly fabricated and installed custom brackets for B-1 sunshades, reestablishing shelter for a 283 million dollar aircraft that completes 10,000 sorties yearly. In addition, he advanced the quality of living for more than 9,000 joint coalition force personnel with eight latrine restoration projects totaling more than 135,000 dollars. Furthermore, Airman Badeo was a first responder to a tiger teeth failure and quickly identified and repaired failing components, safeguarding 126.3 million dollars in Air Force facilities. Additionally he mitigated storm damage by repairing 24 roof leaks and numerous doors, avoiding the stoppage of 251 coalition sortie missions. Lastly, he fabricated duct work to prevent the overheating of a 24 million dollar server system used to collect information on insurgent locations. The distinctive accomplishments of Airman Badeo reflect credit upon himself, the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Structural Apprentice

Airman First Class Nickalus D. Perry distinguished himself by meritorious service as Structural Apprentice, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. During this period, Airman Perry's technical expertise was showcased when he facilitated a 400,000 dollar in-house roof repair plan affecting 15 facilities, repairing 37 roof leaks, and saving 48,000 dollars in contract costs. Additionally, his quick response to customer needs during an unexpected base-wide power outage ensured all aircraft hangar doors remained operational, resulting in zero mission delays. Furthermore, Airman Perry's structural abilities were evident during the repair of a wind damaged remote piloted aircraft hangar, safeguarding 6.5 million dollars in critical war fighting assets. Finally, his drive for excellence propelled his unit to the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Air Force Special Operations Command Civil Engineer Squadron of the Year awards. The distinctive accomplishments of Airman Perry reflect credit upon himself, the 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Structural Journeyman

Senior Airman Anthony T. Pongracz distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as Structural Journeyman, 820th RED HORSE Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. During this period, while at home station, Airman Pongracz elevated Logistics' Mobility Readiness section by placing 168 cubic yards of concrete for the foundation of the new 927,000 square foot storage facility and weapons vault, estimated at 3.6 million dollars. Additionally, while deployed to Kandahar Airfield, he displayed superior job knowledge with the production of a turn-key K-Span, designed to house and safeguard the first multi-use, unmanned Predator system and 10,000 dollars of Afghanistan's real property assets. Furthermore, he replaced the water pump for a well, making it fully functional and capable of supplying over 2,000 gallons a day, eliminating the need to convoy water and reducing exposure to attack. On return to home station, Airman Pongracz provided his support to the Vehicle Operations Element, tracking and maintaining 287 assigned vehicles worth 34.2 million dollars. The distinctive accomplishments of Senior Airman Pongracz reflect credit upon himself, the 820th RED HORSE Squadron and the United States Air Force.

Structures Apprentice

Airman First Class Juan E. Martinez distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as Structures Apprentice, 557th Expeditionary REDHORSE Squadron, 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, from XXXXXXXXX to XXXXXXXXX. During this period, Airman Martinez deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, and fabricated and emplaced ten tons of rebar columns and grade beam forms for a 20,000 square foot warehouse project. He also assisted in performing dynamic cone penetrometer analysis to establish foundation compaction and skillfully resolved 13 primary equipment mechanical deficiencies, guaranteeing 24-hour operations. Moreover, Airman Martinez exhibited multiple skills when he augmented as an Engineering Apprentice during layout computation for a $687,000 warehouse. Finally, as security escort for off-base delivery contractors, Airman Martinez' vigilance prevented security breaches and protected installation resources and personnel. The distinctive accomplishments of Airman First Class Martinez reflect credit upon himself, the 557th Expeditionary REDHORSE Squadron, and the United States Air Force.