TOP STORY >>463rd member wins AFA top award

By Staff Sgt. Beth Orlen
314th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

He went from being a Soldier to working on the U.S.S. Cole as a contractor, but now Staff Sgt. Robert Tate III has a new claim to fame as the Air Force Association’s 2007 Chief Master Sgt. Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year. 

Sergeant Tate, a member of the 463rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, will be recognized for being at the top of his career field when the AFA chairman of the board presents him with the award at the organization’s national convention in Washington, D.C., Sept. 24. 

The AFA presents this award annually in recognition of individual excellence in the critical mission support role of aircraft crew chief. 

This dedicated C-130 crew chief, who was deployed when the award was announced, says he was truly amazed at winning the award. 

“To me, this ... is not an individual award, but a unit award,” he said. “I’ve definitely been mentored by several people (in the unit). They trained me, and it should be shared with them.” 

But Sergeant Tate’s leadership disagrees. 

“Ace performer,” Maintenance All Star” and “Whole Package!” are words used to describe the Airman in the award nomination Lt. Col. Mike Christian, 463rd AMXS commander, submitted to the AFA. 

Sergeant Tate spent the early years of his military career as an infantry man with such units as the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division, but decided the Army wasn’t for him.

After seperating, Sergeant Tate became a defense contractor who worked on restoring the U.S.S. Cole, a guided missile destroyer that suffered damage from a suicide bombing attack Oct. 12, 2000, while it was harbored in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen sailors were killed in the attack. 

It was this particular job that changed Sergeant Tate’s mind about being in the military – he joined the Air Force Reserves soon after and came on active-duty as a crew chief four years ago. 

“I picked this job...because I like the mechanical aspect of the aircraft and the mission,” he said. 

This crew chief said he doesn’t want people to think winning the award makes him any different than anyone else. “There are a lot of other people that have done as much as I have done. I just (happened to have) won the award,” said Sergeant Tate. 

For his selection, Sergeant Tate is authorized to wear the Air Force recognition ribbon.