SMC Annual Awards Honors LAAFB’s Best

  • Published
  • By Alicia Garges
  • SMC Public Affairs
The Space and Missile Systems Center honored its top Airmen at the center's annual awards banquet, March 11. Awards were presented in 16 categories at the black tie event held at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel.

This year's banquet celebrated 100 years of military aviation and included a speech by Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, the granddaughter of Gen. Jimmy Doolittle. The author of several books, she also works at Los Angeles AFB.

Selected from approximately 100 nominees, this year's winners come from a wide-range of program offices and represent all ranks, both military and civilian.

And the winners are:

Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Elwood Waddell, Space Development and Test Directorate
Senior Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Kathryn Cantu, Space Superiority Directorate
Junior Company Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Natasha Del Rosario, Infrared Space Systems Directorate
Senior NCO of the Year: Master Sgt. Stacey Palmer, 61st Air Base Group
NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. James Crutchfield, Space Development and Test Directorate
Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Daniel Bodine, SMC Finance
Civilian Supervisor Category I of the Year: Matthew O'Neil, 61st Air Base Group
Civilian Supervisor Category II of the Year: William Johnson, Infrared Space Systems Directorate
Civilian Category I of the Year: Maria Santoyo-Gonzales, SMC Finance
Civilian Category II of the Year: Erin Carper, SMC Program Integration
IMA Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. Stanley Crow, SMC Development Planning Office
IMA Enlisted of the Year: Staff Sgt. Yaira Rosales, SMC Judge Advocate Office
Honor Guard of the Year: Staff Sgt. Mia Tandoc, 61st Air Base Group
First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Gary Silvia, 61st Air Base Group
Space Systems Team of the Year: GPS III Contracting Team, SMC Contracting
Administrative Support Team of the Year: Aerospace Medicine Element, 61st Air Base Group