News

Aircrew training specialist garners AF-level award

  • Published
  • By Holly Birchfield
  • 78 ABW/PA
Robins Air Force Base, GA --  Dave Dawson equips Airmen in the 19th Air Refueling Group with the skills needed to survive in the deployed location.
As an aircrew training specialist in the 19th Operations Support Squadron, he teaches a myriad of skills to the 19th ARG's 110 plus aircrew members.
Mr. Dawson recently earned the 2008 Aircrew Flight Equipment Career Field Civilian of the Year Award at the Air Force-level for his dedication to ensuring Airmen are mission ready.
The 47-year-old Hammond, Ind., native said he takes his job to heart.
"Basically, I conduct continuation training for the aircrew members," he said. "They all receive initial training prior to coming from another base to here. Depending on the currency of the training, whether it's biannual or triannual or initial training, I conduct the training for these individuals in subjects like aircrew chemical defense and emergency egress. We also cover water survival, combat survival training, and we used to cover emergency parachute (training)."
The father of four trains not only Black Knights, but also provides some fire department training for aircrew member extraction and instructs flying crew chiefs.
"In general, we hope they never have to use the training that we provide for them," he said. "I know (my job is) very important, especially with the ops tempo in the areas that they fly in nowadays and deploy to. If something does happen, we give them that confidence that they can pull back from their memory bank from training not just here, but from other training they've received since they've started flying to enable them to get to a place where they can get rescued and come back and fly again."
It's that commitment to taking care of Airmen that Lt. Col. Scott Rizer, 19th OSS commander, said makes the training specialist a prized member in his unit.
"He has been an incredible asset to our unit," he said. "He's pretty much our lone life support instructor, so he has trained every one of our 110 plus aircrew members to make sure they're ready to go out and fight the global war on terrorism."
Colonel Rizer said it's the second time Mr. Dawson has won the award at the major command level and the first time such win at the Air Force level.
"I think it's great," he said. "It just reflects well on him and the whole team down there."
Capt. Joey Greene, the 19th OSS' assistant director of operations, said he's proud of his fellow Airman's accomplishment.
"The award was well deserved," he said. "He's definitely among the best of all the civilians I've worked with in my 19 years."
For the retired Air Force technical sergeant, he's simply honored to do his job.
"It's a great award and I'm very appreciative of it," he said. "It's a great job anyhow and to have somebody at the Air Force level recognize you, that's just an additional bonus."