JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Maj. Gen. Theresa Carter, commander of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, announced the unit’s 2015 top performers Feb. 11.
Winners, their unit or directorate, and category are:
- Senior Airman Cinthia Swartzlander, Air Force Security Forces Center, Airman Category;
- Tech. Sgt. Craig Stawicki, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, NCO Category;
- Master Sgt. Sandquiette Morris, AFSFC, Senior NCO Category;
- Capt. Seth Poulsen, Expeditionary Support Directorate, Company Grade Officer Category;
- Maj. Orlando Chavez, Expeditionary Support Directorate, Field Grade Officer Category;
- Bernadette Cruz, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Junior Civilian Category;
- Maria Martinez-Yarovikov, Resources Directorate, Intermediate Civilian Category; and
- Andrew Mendoza, Resources Directorate, Senior Civilian Category.
“Although we cannot recognize everyone individually, it is my honor and pleasure to recognize a few individuals who have stood out amongst the very best,” Carter said. “These individuals have truly gone above and beyond to provide globally integrated combat support, further proving that we are, in fact, warfighters supporting warfighters.”
As the only junior enlisted instructor in the cadre at the Desert Defender Ground Combat Readiness Training Center at Ft. Bliss, Texas, Swartzlander was credited with certifying several hundred students this past year. She enhanced tactical vehicle driving skills, training 245 security forces defenders in mine-resistant, ambush-protected, or MRAP, operations and enabled the training of another 325 in vehicle rollover scenarios because of her initiative to get access to rollover training equipment. Swartzlander also served as team lead in organizing six enemy-scenario training events, arming more than 600 Airmen from nine commands with current enemy tactics, techniques and procedures.
Stawicki, an industrial power pro craftsman, was the 2015 AFIMSC Technician of the Year, which he earned in part by leading a team of 18 in its execution of a $3.5 million aircraft arresting system program. His support of Air Forces Central Command stands out among his notable accomplishments. Stawicki rebuilt two aircraft barriers in less than 45 days to open two airfields in the area of responsibility, saving $600,000 in the process. He further provided down-range support to AFCENT’s readiness by evaluating 12 aircraft arresting systems as lead subject matter expert during site visits. Back home at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Stawicki created a new training program that led six technicians through a $1.5 million mobile barrier overhaul, resulting in an execution rate increase of 30 percent.
Morris, who serves as superintendent of the AFSFC Force Protection Directorate, led 25 Air Force policy reviews resulting from the standup of AFIMSC operations. She also worked with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, drafting a fix to a DoD policy gap, which codified new antiterrorism training standards across the Air Force. Morris connected federal organizations by creating 563 criminal fingerprint accounts, directly linking to the FBI and providing key anti-terror information. In her efforts to make every dollar count, she obtained Air Force risk management computer-based training at no cost, providing access to 10 major commands and 190 units while saving $3 million annually. She also helped institute government-wide force protection measures by serving on a multi-agency benchmark committee that resolved 161 conflicts and standardized assessment criteria.
The distinguished performance of Poulsen in 2015 was literally that: distinguished. He was a distinguished graduate of both Squadron Officer School and the Air Force Institute of Technology. In earning his master’s degree in engineering management at AFIT, he graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and received recognition as the annual honoree of the Sigma Iota Epsilon National Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity. As a plans and analysis program manager, the captain served as AFIMSC’s Weapons and Tactics Conference point of contact, prepping the first-ever Air Force installation and mission support topic to be included in the four-star meeting. He also developed unit-wide plans for agile combat support battle staff operations, which established the response and command and control procedures for 10 major commands.
Chavez, who serves as readiness branch chief, led the merger of 11 commands encompassing more than 86,000 Airmen and 35 unit type codes in one of the biggest Air Force combat support changes in 20 years. His work to develop a plan for 41 installation and mission support Air Force Specialty Codes set a new standard for functional area managers and was a key to AFIMSC achieving initial operational capability. The major led his team in fixing a central data system program error, which reconciled deployment dates for some 340,000 Airmen, establishing the Air Force’s first accurate service-wide data system. Chavez also implemented an Air Force-wide reclama process that solved a 21-day backlog and cut delays by 33 percent.
As a contracting management specialist, Cruz administered 10 medical group contracts worth $3.6 million in 2015. Those actions secured 19 medical positions and boosted quality of life for 21,000 beneficiaries. She expedited the purchase of four medical service kits, awarding the action in 45 days vice 85, quickly getting much needed equipment in the hands of medical professionals. As a business advisor in the reconciliation of spending for six requirements, she identified excess funds and was able to recoup $311,000, which could be used to support other priorities. Cruz was instrumental in her team’s success. She overhauled nine contracting officer representative files to solve compliancy shortfalls and she mentored two interns, setting them on course for successful careers.
Martinez-Yarovikov, a budget analyst, was instrumental in the transition of resource operations to AFIMSC. Her deep-dive analysis of the Air Force Services Activity’s requirements and Air Force Space Command’s numbered air force and wing budgets gave both entities confidence in their funding and furthered mission capabilities. Her efforts were vital in support of the execution plan submission for AFSPC. By validating $3 billion of requirements for the major command, she was able to secure $11 million from the Pentagon for unfunded requirements. In addition, she led budget operations to ensure east and west space wings were capable of executing space launches during a period of strict continuing resolution authority, or CRA. Martinez-Yarovikov also ensured continuous purchasing power for 28 bases after the CRA expired by issuing $366 million of emergency funds.
In his role as the lead civil engineer program analyst at AFIMSC and his prior work for Air Force Installations, Environment and Energy, Mendoza proved himself critical to the success of enterprise-wide civil engineering operations this past year. He co-led the effort to close or realign eight European bases, securing congressional approval and $750 million in funding for execution. He also led the staffing and coordination for divestiture of Antigua Air Station, obtaining Secretary of Defense approval and saving the federal government $1 billion. Mendoza built the United States’ negotiation position with Portugal, which streamlined the Air Force presence at Lajes Field in the Azores and saved $35 million per year. In addition, he built 15 Air Force infrastructure changes to posture U.S. European business plans development, which became the DoD model for such actions.