Previous Story
25 members of Guam Air Nat’l Guard arrive tonight
Guam airmen pose in front of a B-1 bomber, one of the assets they were assigned to protect. (Contributed Photo)
GUAM—Twenty-five members of the Guam Air National Guard’s 254th Security Forces Squadron are slated to arrive in Guam tonight, March 17. The 31-member team was officially activated in July 2013 and departed a month later for Al Udeid, AB, Qatar. They were tasked to support the Air Force’s Air and Space Expeditionary Force mission in Southwest Asia. This tasking falls under the Air Force Central Command where the Airmen were primarily focused on the provision of base defense measures, inclusive of personnel and resource security. Members of the 254th SFS have deployed six times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Twelve of the arriving airmen were part of the team involved in the transition of security responsibilities to Iraqi Forces toward the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed, Team Guam received many accolades including: – SSgt Casey Morrison: coined by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and named Hard Charger of the Month (October 2013) – TSgt James Santos: coined by the AF Central Command’s Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. Robert Sealey – MSgt Maria Quitugua: Senior Noncommissioned of the Month (February 2014) – TSgt James Santos: NCO of the Month (November 2013) – TSgt Rewi Caron: Ground Safety Award of Distinction (November 2013) – Coined by the Squadron Commander: MSgt Richard Flores, MSgt Jerry Hinkle, TSgt Oscar Espinosa, TSgt James Santos, SSgt Jessica Cruz, SSgt Mark Mendiola, SSgt Mark Sablan, SrA Anthony Toves – Capt. Alvin Alvarez: 379 AEW Company Grade Officer of the Quarter (October thru December 2013) Their reputation for the island-style cooking inspired the Company Grade Officers Council to sponsor a farewell gathering, as long as the Guam troops were in charge of the barbecue! (PR)
