Whiteman Airman recognized as outstanding Airman of the year

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joel Pfiester
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Annually, Air Force officials select the service's top enlisted members to represent the enlisted force as part of the Enlisted Council. The council is comprised of the twelve recipients of the Outstanding Airmen of the Year Award, one of the top-level honors an Airman can receive.

Senior Airman Mason Meherg, 509th Comptroller Squadron financial services technician, was recently named one of 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year (OAY) for 2015.

An Air Force selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center considered 35 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units, field operating agencies and Headquarters Air Force. Meherg was one of 12 Airmen selected based on superior leadership, job performance and personal achievements.

Upon his arrival to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Meherg had his sights set high with a goal of obtaining Senior Airman below the zone.

"Once that became a reality and actually happened, I realized why stop there?" said Meherg. "I think it's always good for Airmen to set goals for themselves and never get complacent. That's what has pushed me to this point."

Being a finance troop, Meherg realized his work bullets would not have the big numbers that some other Air Force Specialty Codes may have, so he explored different avenues on how to be more involved with his personal development.

"I take my job very seriously and every job matters, but I realized I'm not going to have statements like 'maintains a billion dollar B-2 Spirit' on my package, so I started thinking about what I could do to help impact my community or the base," said Meherg. "It started with the Airman's Council. I went to a meeting and it just so happened they were taking nominations for the elections coming up that next month."

After throwing his name in a hat, Meherg showed up to the next meeting and was elected President of the Airman's Council. After taking on his new role, Meherg organized three big events on base, one of them, a Battle of the Bands Summer Picnic which gained the designation as an alternate duty location.

"To have an event designated as an alternate duty location was a big deal for us because it kind of put us on the same playing field as some of the other base councils and organizations," said Meherg. "They have alternate duty locations for many morale building events and to be able to work in the same capacity was a big deal for us."

In less than three years, Meherg has earned his Community College of the Air Force degree, spearheaded the Airman's Council's Adopt-A-Highway program, been appointed treasurer for the 509th Bomb Wing (BW) staff's Booster Club, served as the 509th BW staff's point of contact for the Air Force Assistance Fund, volunteered countless hours to Airmen Against Drunk Driving, worked closely with the Sexual Assault and Response Coordinator as a victim's advocate, and is scheduled to earn his Bachelor's degree by the end of next year.

Meherg credits his success to finding volunteer opportunities that he's passionate about and that mean something to him.

"When I first came to Whiteman I was definitely a bullet chaser," said Meherg. "I was checking boxes and trying to make sure I got below-the-zone or anything else that was coming up, but that gets old really fast and anyone who does that can tell you it's tiring because you're not really working for or towards anything. That's when I started looking at things like the Airman's Council and the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office. Those two things really stood out to me as making a difference in the community. I was able to go out and do those things, help the community and also shed a positive light on Whiteman AFB."

Meherg, along with the 11 other OAY will be traveling to different installations over the course of the next year to speak with fellow Airmen and collect their questions and concerns to bring back with him to the Enlisted Council.

"I would say that more than half of the Air Force goes to work every day and does an excellent job but never really receives any recognition for it," said Meherg. "That's who I would like to represent. I'd like to be their voice in the grand scheme of things."

With a strong support system in his peers, co-workers and supervision, Meherg believes that this award is a culmination of a total team effort.

"To be named one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year is a really humbling experience as crazy as that may sound," said Meherg. "To have leadership backing you and to nominate you for such as award and all the time it took for them, not only mentoring me and pushing me in the right direction but also doing the paperwork and writing the package. Knowing that you go to work every day with such hardworking people, supervisors and Airmen that are busting their butts everyday really ends up reflecting well on everybody. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to represent the command."