CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Staff Sgt. Liana Santana is a pharmacy technician for the 437th Medical Group and has been stationed at Charleston AFB for almost two years.

As a pharmacy technician, she processes customer prescriptions and is responsible for their accuracy. When the prescription is completed, she places each verified prescription in the correct bin for customer pickup. She is also the assistant vault custodian and performs an inventory for the controlled medications twice a day.

"The best part of the job is that I have the pleasure of working directly with the customer and can have a positive impact on their quality of life," said Sergeant Santana. "I assist customers with their medications and make sure they completely understand how to take their medications correctly. The pharmacy team is always busy and the time goes by quickly -- and that is what I enjoy most. It was an honor to be assigned to the base honor in November 2007 and a privilege to honor those who came before us."

This "warrior of the week" hails from Avon Park, Fla., and enlisted in the Air Force a few weeks after graduating high school. Sergeant Santana joined the Air Force to further her education and have the opportunity to travel to different places. She was a member of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and credits it as the strong foundation that enabled her to make a smooth transition to the military.

Her goal is to become a pharmacist some day. She is currently working on an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force and is doing the perquisites for pharmacy school at Park University.

"Sergeant Santana sets the example through her professionalism and performance every day," said Master Sgt. Janice Carr, 437th Medical Group NCO in charge of pharmacy services. "She was selected as the Air Mobility Command Airman Pharmacy Technician of the Year for 2006. She is a very important member of the pharmacy team."