Engineers sweep Command awards

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The 96th Civil Engineer Group didn’t have a boat parade like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they did bring home a boatload of Air Force Materiel Command awards taking top honors in more than half of the categories.

Of the 34 total CE awards, Eglin engineers won best in AFMC for 19 categories and first runner-up in seven others.

“I am so proud of our engineer family and the amazing accomplishments these awards recognize,” said Col. Kevin Osborne, 96th CEG commander. “Our civil engineers continue to build on the legacy established in 1935 at Eglin and are continuously engineering for the future.”

Osborne leads the unit that has been AFMC’s Outstanding Civil Engineer Unit 12 out of the last 13 years.

The group’s Jackson Guard unit also earned the Gen. Thomas D. White Award for Natural Resources Management for the Air Force.

Among the other unit awards, the 96th CEG won the Installation Management Division award, Resources Section award, Readiness and Emergency Management award, Explosive Ordnance Disposal award and the Large Fire Department award.

Their outstanding accomplishments include rapid repair of a highly used bridge destroyed by Hurricane Sally, superb response to two aircraft accidents, critical restoration of habitat that led to the recovery of the red cockaded woodpecker and awarding all engineering projects on time while maintaining an active construction program during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the awards write up.

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sally, Pavements and Equipment section, known as “The Dirt Boys,” responded and rebuilt Bob Sikes Bridge on Range Road 213 that had completely washed out during the hurricane.  This creek crossing is the most heavily used range road here with over 2,000 vehicles crossing daily.  In less than 45 days the team completely rebuilt the creek crossing to allow the road to reopen for traffic.

Here are the individual award winners:

Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Ahearn Award – Chief Master Sgt. Nicholas Schulte
Resource Advisor Award – Anna Knapp
Maj. Gen. Eugene A. Lupia Award – Staff Sgt. Brandon Radlick
Civil Engineer Managers of the Year Award
(Civilian Manager) – Stephen Daugherty
(Civilian Technician) – Shawn Murray
EOD MasterBlaster Award
(CGO) – Capt. Nicholas DeJulio
(SNCO) – Master Sgt. Aaron Cantu

(NCO) – Tech. Sgt. Geoffrey Gilmer
Fire Officers of the Year
(Military) Master Sgt. Stephen Sanabria
(Civilian) – Jimmy Reed
Firefighters of the Year
(Military) – Senior Airman Justin Schubert
(Civilian) – Nathan Shalduha

Story By Mike Spaits