Reserve Citizen Airmen awarded as top performers in state by AFA

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  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Two of the 302nd Airlift Wing’s Reserve Citizen Airmen were recognized as the Colorado State Air Force Association’s outstanding Airmen of the year during the organization’s annual awards banquet in Denver, Aug. 17.

Senior Master Sgt. Nattessa Gilbert, 731st Airlift Squadron loadmaster, won the Senior NCO category and Senior Airman Kobby Hanson, 302nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, won in the Airman category.

Both were recognized for their accomplishments while deployed last year.

As the superintendent in a deployed location, Gilbert oversaw 227 sorties including six combat air drops within a 60-day period. While stateside she, flew on 15 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System missions aiding the U.S. Forest Service in suppressing wildland fires.

While Hanson was deployed he implemented a new method to ensure expired Mission Oriented Protective Posture equipment was not issued to Airmen going to deployed locations where chemical attacks could occur. He came up with the method after taking inventory of 84,000 assets and discovering 3,000 were expired.