AFA Salutes the 2024 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Sept. 17, 2024 — The Air & Space Forces Association proudly recognized the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year (OAY) at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference for their exceptional dedication, service, and achievements. 

AFA began the OAY program in 1956 to honor the exceptional hard work and dedication of the Air Force’s enlisted force. The Airmen who were presented the Outstanding Airman of the Year Awards display superior leadership, exemplary job performance, community involvement, and personal achievement over the preceding 12 months. 

The 2024 recipients of the Outstanding Airmen of the Year Award are as follows: 

Senior Master Sergeant Sarah Buckley led the Pacific Air Forces enlisted regional security cooperation program, directing 36 country portfolios valued at $10.9 billion. She led an 11-month planning effort, executing the largest Pacific Air Chiefs’ Symposium in history by managing a $1.2 million dollar budget, 122 volunteers, and over 300 engagements for key leaders from 23 allies and partner nations, fortifying a free and open Indo-Pacific. Moreover, she drove policy change to Air University’s International Honor Roll program by capturing benefits that United States professional military education has generated for foreign militaries, resulting in the induction of three Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force from Indo-Pacific partner nations in 2024. Furthermore, Buckley established an enlisted international academy, securing $175,000 in funding, onboarding 19 students from eight nations, developing the first-ever Royal Australian Air Force Commandant position in the Pacific Air Forces.  

Master Sergeant Haley L. Kallisto 

• Weapons Director 
• 225th Air Defense Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington 
• Home of Record: Saugus, California 

As the sole air defense liaison at the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference, Master Sergeant Haley L. Kallisto relayed information between among 17 government agencies, guaranteeing protection for the President of the United States, China’s President, 3,500 foreign delegates, and over 100 corporate leaders. She championed the multinational Noble Skywave radio competition, placing her sector in the top 12 percent of 374 units and strengthening radio communications with 20 partner nations. Kallisto updated cruise missile academics for a large-scale wartime exercise, arming instructors with leading-edge tactics and enabling the training of five students managing ACE activities. She briefed 40 Air Force senior leaders on tactical C2 and NORAD NORTHCOM for homeland defense mission sets. As a certified crisis counselor, she mentored 11 youth experiencing suicidal ideation, de-escalating deadly situations. She became one of three 194th Wing Victim Advocates, facilitating 25 annual SAPR trainings while supporting victims.  

Master Sergeant Genevieve M. Villela 

• Financial Operations Superintendent 
• 502nd Comptroller Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas 
• Home of Record: San Leandro, California 

Master Sergeant Genevieve M. Villela executed a customer scheduling and queuing pilot system at seven bases in support of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force in Financial Management’s effort to standardize customer service, also preparing an implementation blueprint for the remaining 71 squadrons. She led 150 joint-service personnel and sources over 26 security contracts worth over $9 million. Additionally, she co-chaired the Joint Specials Operations Command’s Program Budget Advisory Committee, helping secure $2 million for 214 missions. She solved a four-star-level Congressional Inquiry and discovered two LeaveWeb system flaws, driving fixes and resolving 7,000 unreconciled leaves. Furthermore, Villela developed nine of the first-ever real-time analytics dashboards for 78 installations, reaching 20,000 users and reducing the 33,000 existing pay cases by 42% in the first month. Finally, she led an eight-member team to revamp the accession process for Basic Military Trainees and purge six workflows, eliminating $1.8 million in debts for 9,000 graduates.  

Technical Sergeant Corey M. Green 

• NCOIC, Weapons and Tactics 
• 60th Security Forces Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California 
• Home of Record: Bakersfield, California 

Technical Sergeant Corey Green developed a flight-run, small arms training plan to enhance gunfighter capabilities and was also chosen to develop Air Mobility Command’s sustainment fire concept of operations. This initiative aimed to bolster security forces marksmanship capabilities across AMC’s 14 wings. Additionally, he led a 16-member search team that successfully rescued an Airman who had been missing for hours in the Department of Defense’s largest training area. Lastly, Green commanded an armed response to an active-shooter threat at the Air Force’s largest medical center. Through his decisive actions, he secured the subject, seized the loaded firearm, and effectively prevented a mass casualty event, ensuring the safety of nearly 3,000 staff members and patients. 

Technical Sergeant Jose Lucero IV 

• Flight Sergeant 
• Air Force Security Forces Headquarters Det. 3, Fort Bliss, Texas 
• Home of Record: El Paso, Texas 

Technical Sergeant Jose Lucero IV led the Air Force Combatives Program at Fort Bliss, Texas. His actions encompassed joint training of 82 Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Defense, and Veteran Affairs Instructors. As the first and only Air Force Reserve Master Combatives Instructor, Lucero engineered a three-day Shooter Combatives Event for the 2023 Defender Challenge where he battle-tested 11 hand-selected competitors across all MAJCOM’s in order to produce a readiness baseline for the Security Force’s enterprise. He also led a team of instructors for 2,500 Security Forces members tasked to deploy. Tactics taught include mounted, dismounted operations, shoot-move-communicate. Lucero provides guidance, character development, and leadership traits to all his students with an emphasis on life-saving skills.  

Technical Sergeant Joseph M. Mazure 

• NCOIC, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) 
• 609th Air Operations Center, AI Udeid, AB, Qatar 
• Home of the Record: Grand Rapids, Michigan 

Technical Sergeant Joseph Mazure was by name requested to fill a Master Sergeant position for 270 days, coauthoring Air Force Special Operations Command’s first Master Training Plan for SERE. He also spearheaded the largest wing personnel recovery kit revamp in two decades, a three-year project, executing a $165,000 budget, and fabricating 450 kits utilized by 2,500 personnel. Mazure directed the Air Force’s largest operational SERE flight, executing 52 group training events for 14 squadrons, supporting six commands. Additionally, he collaborated with the United State Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office to rectify a critical flaw in survival radios that affected 13 partner nations, revitalizing secure satellite communications for emergencies coalition-wide. At the Central Command Joint Personnel Recovery Center, Mazure coordinated personnel recovery for four downed aircraft across three combatant commands, activating 15 Air Force and Navy rescue assets, culminating in the recovery of the 15 personnel. 

Technical Sergeant Geraldine C. Schwartz 

• Airman Leadership School Instructor 
• Royal Air Force Feltwell, U.K. 
• Home of Record: Harlem, New York City 

Technical Sergeant Geraldine Schwartz serves as an Airman Leadership School Instructor where she directed 960 academic hours of professional military education (PME) across five wings, 74 squadrons, six MAJCOMs, and 68 Air Forces Specialty Codes. Additionally, she created the first-ever combined U.S. and U.K. PME course by collaborating with the Royal Air Force PME Command Team for three months, synthesizing 120 hours of joint instruction. Her initiative enabled a new course for 57 students, strengthening NATO joint interoperability and allied educational relationships. Furthermore, Schwartz led a USAFE-AFAFRICA/A1- directed manpower review. She solved a three-year staffing shortage resulting in $140,000 of savings in student funding allocations. Finally, she was selected by the Department of State, to serve a Spanish translator and instructor for 16 diplomats, driving her selection to the Language Enabled Airman Program. 

Senior Airman Jacob K. Cummings 

• CV-22B Electrical and Environmental Systems Journeyman 
• 7th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (SOAMXS), RAF Mildenhall, U.K.  
• Home of Record: Hitchcock, Texas 

Senior Airman Jacob Cummings has made a major impact in his role as a CV-22 Electrical and Environmental Systems Technician. He maintained nine CV-22B aircraft valued at $1.2 billion for the 7th SOAMXS. He also qualified in tasks outside his career field and earned the title of Dedicated Crew Chief to a highly decorated aircraft. He demonstrated leadership by guiding his shop’s maintenance and training efforts, solving 2,100 discrepancies, enabling 987 sorties and 3,400 flight hours. Cummings deployed for two NATO exercises, resulting in 103 sorties for Naval Special Warfare training. As Shift Lead, he executed 27 mission-limiting repairs, enabling five CV-22 sorties to support the movement of the President of the United States in Europe. Finally, Cummings executed 192 maintenance actions that ensured the safe evacuation of 100 U.S. citizens from an active conflict area. 

Senior Airman Mariah L. Hayden 

• Emergency Management Operations Journeyman 
• Space Based Delta 1, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado 
• Home of Record: Indianapolis, Indiana 

Senior Airman Mariah Hayden filled a Noncommissioned Officer in Charge role for five months and steered a three-base mitigation program shielding $67 billion in mission assets, 111 joint partners, and ensured global effects for 11 combatant commanders. She served as a Department of the Air Force subject-matter expert for the first update to Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear protective equipment in 18 years. Her efforts synchronized Army, Department of the Air Force, and United States Special Operations Command requirements to generate future-focused protection standards for 1.5 million joint warfighters. Hayden revived a nearly canceled Air Force Emergency Management Worldwide event, averting a two-year delay in functional professional military education for 200 Total Force Air Force Emergency Managers. Finally, she guided relocation of Peterson Space Force Base’s primary emergency command and control node to enable the beddown of seven new squadrons and 500 Guardians.  

Senior Airman Rachel M. Heath 

• Resource Advisor 
• 377th Healthcare Operations Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 
• Home of Record: Lakeland, Florida 

Senior Airman Rachel Heath filled a GS-11 (roughly equivalent to an Air Force Captain rank) position for nine months, completing 46 finance trainings and liaising with Higher Headquarter to allocate a $20 million budget, supporting 48,000 visits and raising Active-duty access to care from 26 percent to the top 1 percent of military treatment facilities. She served as Flight Chief for four months, leading seven staff members and 12 programs, securing 11 new hires, handling $347,000 in insurance claims, and securing $103,000 in bonuses for 68 civilian employees. Heath utilized her Accounting Degree to develop her Medical Group’s budget cost performance index, enhancing spending forecast accuracy by 65 percent, certifying 32 spend plans, and developing the group’s FY24 financial plan. She led her group’s end-of-year closeout, guiding 12 flights, vetting $4 million in requirements, and securing $3.4 million in equipment to modernize 15 units and a $609,000 four-person contract to execute 15 new personnel reliability program standards for 820 Airmen. 

Senior Airman Leanne A. Jayoma 

• Career Development Technician 
• 647th Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman, Hawaii 
• Home of Record: Arlington, Virginia 

Senior Airman Leanne Jayoma excelled in a Technical Sergeant role for three months, leading eight Airmen and executing nine A1 programs valued at $11 billion in support of 53,000 personnel. Additionally, she overcame a manning deficit by coordinating an Exception to Policy to merge two sections and developed a 34-hour training plan that slashed customer wait times by 37 percent, resulting in 459 hours being repurposed to tackle other priorities. Jayoma authored myEval training that was instituted by seven Military Personnel Flights across four MAJCOMs. Moreover, she coordinated with A1 and the Air Force Personnel Center to mitigate myEval discrepancies by developing new procedures for 83 commander’s support staff teams, resolving 3,000 rejected evaluations and saving 780 hours annually. Finally, Jayoma developed an automated solution for special duty pay notifications, reducing a labor-intensive process from 864 to 48 hours and enabling rapid processing of $92.2 million in entitlements. 

Senior Airman Mykhailo Khromiak 

• Ground Transportation Support Operator 
• 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona 
• Home of the Record: Peoria, Arizona 

Senior Airman Mykhailo Khromiak deployed in support of defense assistance efforts to Ukraine as a critical command and control liaison for the Air Domain Awareness Cell, alerting forces to 2,000 air threats and 1,500 ballistic missiles and safeguarding 43 million lives. Furthermore, he crafted translation aids, arming pilots with enhanced situational awareness and improving sortie rates for unmanned aerial vehicles. Khromiak provided translation support during three meetings of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, helping secure $7.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. Additionally, he executed the Presidential Drawdown Authority’s aims by enabling the implementation of four new air capabilities, increasing the survivability of 40 aircraft worth $1.7 billion. Finally, Khromiak hauled 16 tons of equipment to Gila Bend Auxiliary Field, standing up a divert airfield for in-flight emergencies for 20 joint units across five airframes and three MAJCOMs, supporting 23,000 sorties and 239 pilot graduates. 

About AFA  

The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for investment and support for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, and for supporting Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Founded in 1946, AFA is the single largest entity of its kind focused on air and space power. With more than 113,000 members and 200 chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote dominant U.S. Air and Space Forces as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect the enduring heritage of the Air and Space Forces.