JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Airmen from the 628th Communications Squadron have been named as some of the best of the best cyber warriors in Air Mobility Command.
Last week, AMC announced the winners of the annual Gen. John P. Jumper for Excellence in Warfighting Integrations and Information Dominance Awards. The 628th CS has five individual award winners and one unit award.
"Recognizing Airmen who do the cyberspace mission for AMC and our Air Force is a great way to wrap up National Cyber Security Awareness Month," said Col. Rob Lyman, AMC director of communications and chief information officer. "I'm not surprised that some have been recognized as the best in the nation, not just in military circles, but across the sector. They continue to do great things for our nation."
Here are the 628th CS AMC-level winners in cyber security.
Air Mobility Command Outstanding Knowledge Operations Management Airman: Airman 1st Class Jennie Short.
Airman 1st Class Short revamped the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act programs by establishing new processes with zero late requests. In less than 48 hours, Short created the Force Shaping EIM site, which was used to inform 12,000 military and civilian personnel on strength reduction. Additionally, she inspected 15 squadrons at Joint Base Charleston and identified systemic Privacy Act issues, road mapped solutions and fixed 2,000 potential violations, earning the base an AMC best in practice and.
Air Force Outstanding Cyber Systems Operations Airman: Airman 1st Class Janson Egloff.
Airman 1st Class Egloff tackled his wing's recent Commanders Cyber Readiness Inspection, helping to earn an "Excellent" by ensuring 46,000 patches were implemented, eliminating more than 136,000 cyber risks. In addition, he was responsible for enforcing Personal Identification Verification Certificate Activation for Network Administrators. This technology allows the elimination of 16 character passwords and now allows Network Administrators to use their Common Access Card instead, greatly enhancing network security and controls.
Air Mobility Command Outstanding Cyber System Senior Non Commissioned Officer: Master Sgt. Clinton Dunnehoo.
Master Sgt. Dunnehoo oversaw the transition of the Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems from the AMC Communications Directorate to the AMC Operations directorate where he assisted in transferring personnel and $4 million in assets. Dunnehoo also lead a $959,000 Voice over Internet Protocol project that was rolled out to the Army's busiest logistics hub with 426 users.
Air Mobility Command Outstanding Cyber Transport Systems Airman: Senior Airman Justin Acord.
Senior Airman Acord developed a $25,000 tool program by building a continuity folder and engraved and labeled more than 90 items, enabling the squadron to have 100 percent accountability of equipment. Acord also troubleshot the integrated base defense system. He replaced a faulty switch in the camera system and was able to cut 21 hours of patrols per patrol while ensuring the protection of JB Charleston C-17s remained uncompromised. Additionally, he managed $1.9 million in information technology asset accounts where he tracked 474 items across 300 buildings at Joint Base Charleston with 100 percent accountability and no equipment lost.
Air Mobility Command Outstanding Cyber Transport Systems Non Commissioned Officer: Tech. Sgt. Jason Agnew.
Tech. Sgt. Agnew led the Command Cyber Readiness Inspection preparation; upgrading 420 devices and securing 25,000 network ports, earning the 628th CS an excellent rating and making the squadron the first in the Department of Defense to pass the new standard. Agnew also reinforced the base force protection process by connecting the vehicle X-ray system with the entry control point extending the mobile scanner use and saving the base $1.2 million.
Lt. Gen. Harold W. Grant (Outstanding Small Communications Squadron): 628th Communications Squadron:
The 628th CS provided unrivaled command, control, communications and computer support to three wings and 58 mission partners with a total of 80,000 personnel. The squadron also refined the AFNETOPS Compliance Tracker process which fast tracked 334 time compliance network orders, cutting the number down to a monthly average of 2.5. While supporting 15,000 C-17 training sorties a year, the squadron provided Air Traffic Control Airfield Landing Systems maintenance; personnel aced 95 preventative maintenance inspections and fixed 10 system outages. Lastly, the 628th CS crafted a $4 million wing C4 blueprint. They designed 10 projects and six were implemented; this process was benchmarked across eight different Air Mobility Command bases.
Winners at the wing level include:
Cyber Civilian Specialist: Scott Sniegowski
Outstanding Client Systems Airman: Senior Airman Dustin Wehrung
Outstanding RF Transmission Systems Airman: Senior Airman Jamel McCargo
Outstanding Airfield Systems Non Commissioned Officer: Staff Sgt. Michael Reyes
Outstanding Client Systems Non Commissioned Officer: Staff Sgt. Ashley Smith
Outstanding Cyber Surety Airman: Senior Airman Arthur Sebby
Outstanding Cyber Surety Non Commissioned Officer: Staff Sgt. David Preston
Cyberspace Outstanding Company Grade Officer: Capt. William Cosgrove
Outstanding Knowledge Operations Management Non Commissioned Officer: Tech. Sgt. Aliah Reyes
"Any recognition we can give our Airmen, individually or even unit level awards like the Lt. Gen. Harold W. Grant award, is an amazing opportunity and properly highlights all the tough work they do daily, at all hours, across every area of the squadron," said Maj. Christopher Landwehr, 628th CS commander. "Much of the work this phenomenal team accomplishes is behind the scenes and they don't often get the recognition they deserve. It is truly an honor and privilege to serve this great team. They always rise to the challenge, provide stellar customer service and support for the Joint Base and its Mission Partners and exhibit what our Squadron and the Air Force is all about: Integrity, Service and Excellence!"