WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. – -- The 131st Force Support Squadron Airman & Family Readiness flight received the 2020 annual award for best personnel team across the Air National Guard.
“The Air National Guard A1 Community is immensely proud to support the superior professionalism and the dedication of these units and individuals,” said Air National Guard Brig. Gen. April Vogel, Director for Manpower, Personnel, Recruiting and Services, Air National Guard Readiness Center.
The 131st FSS, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ben Elkins, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Greene and Staff Sgt. Melissa Askew competed against personnel teams across 90 wings and were awarded for their upstanding mission accomplishments, innovation, customer focus, leadership and team building.
“The Airman and Family Readiness team is the backbone for a number of programs,” said Air National Guard Maj. Amy Cottrell, 131st Force Support Squadron director of operations. “Programs such as the Transitions Assistance, Survivor Benefit Plan and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training offering invaluable assistance and information to service members in the Air National Guard.”
The A&FR team distinguished themselves above the rest of the ANG personnel by integrating key spouses to aid in family deployment preparations, developing and implementing training programs that saved $15,000 in training costs and conducting 1,200 quality of life surveys to increase morale across the wing during the COVID-19 pandemic.