Three 560th ACSG engineers receive command-level honors Published April 10, 2009 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Three members of the 560th Aircraft Sustainment Group have been named outstanding engineers in the Air Force Materiel Command. The awards were among the 2009 Science, Engineering and Technical Management Awards announced on April 3. 1st Lt. Nicholas J. Battle won the Junior Military Engineer Award and James H. Godfrey won the Gen. James Ferguson Engineering Award. Scott T. Mangrum, who is chief engineer of the group, won the Chief Engineer Award. "There's not three more deserving than these for their contributions to national security," said Col. Cheryl Allen, commander of the 560th ACSG. "Frequently our engineers are unsung heroes and it's just wonderful when you have a chance to show their true talents." The trio will travel to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio to accept the awards in a banquet to be held May 6. Mr. Mangrum said he was honored to win the award, but he was more excited about the fact that two members of his team were also recognized. "They are both great engineers," he said. He has been at Robins since 1989 and previously served as chief engineer on the U-2 spy plane. Col. Allen said Mr. Mangrum has traveled the world in support of the U-2. "He's basically the guy you call in the middle of the night if you have any issues," she said. The award package stated "His initiative saved countless missions and directly supported the Global War on Terror." Lt. Battle is an airframe engineer for the U-2 and Global Hawk unmanned vehicle. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan last year where he did repair work on a variety of planes. "I'm excited," he said of getting the award. "I'm happy I got it, and I just want to thank everyone who is working with me." According to the award package, Lt. Battle "provided the Air Force with engineering practices and procedures that will be useful for many years to come." Unlike the other two awards, Mr. Godfrey's award comes with something extra - a $500 cash prize. The award is given in recognition of engineers who show resourcefulness in solving engineering problems, said Chris Hanke, the awards program manager for AFMC. Mr. Godfrey has worked at Robins since 1994 and is the lead U-2 sensor engineer. "Mr. Godfrey's innovative ideas and customer focus enabled significant contributions to the operational capabilities of the warfighter," the award package stated. "I'm very pleased to win it," Mr. Godfrey said. "I enjoy what I do. We have a pretty direct link to the end user." The 560th ACSG is made up of 332 civilian and military personnel. It is in charge of ground systems that support intelligence, surveillance reconnaissance; manages the U-2; and provides sustainment for the Global Hawk, Reaper and Predator unmanned aerial vehicles. Ms. Hanke said it was a record year for nominations for the award. A total of 143 nominations were submitted for the 25 awards handed out.