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Keesler member wins Outstanding Airman of the Year

  • Published
  • By Steve Hoffmann
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Every year hundreds of Airman at various levels in the Air Force are recognized and win awards for doing something well. Out of those only a handful are selected to compete for the Airman of the Year award. From those, only 12 win the award. And this year, one of them walks the streets of Keesler. His name is Angelo -- Staff Sgt. Angelo Banks, 81st Security Forces Squadron.

The Outstanding Airmen of the Year award recognizes 12 enlisted personnel for superior leadership, job performance, community involvement and personal achievements. The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, a general officer and selected major command chiefs form a selection board whose job it is to pick the best of the best from across the Air Force.

After the Air Force Chief of Staff reviews the selections, winners are awarded the Outstanding Airman ribbon with the bronze service star device and are given the Outstanding Airman badge to wear for one year. The Air Force Association honors the 12 at its annual convention in Washington.

"If you're trying to win the award, you're already going about it the wrong way," said Banks. "Just do your job. Do it to the best of your abilities and it's going to pay off for you in a way that will help you whether you win an award or not."

Currently, Banks is the acting noncommissioned officer in charge at the visitor center leading a six-member team in daily operations. In 2011, Banks won the Air Force Security Forces support staff Airman of the year award.

While deployed at the transit center at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, he secured $451 million in assets, 90 combat sorties and 296 tons of cargo. He led 19 fly-away security missions to 39 hostile forward-operating bases delivering 1,300 passengers and three detainees.

Banks also played an instrumental role during the implementation of the Defense Biometric Identification System, processing base access for more than 39,000 base users. Additionally, he positively identified and arrested a suspect with a $215,000 warrant who was attempting to gain access to a high-profile event on base. Additionally, Banks has volunteered with organizations such as Airmen Against Drunk Driving and Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen.

According to Banks, doing your job well is one thing -- being professional and showing respect is another.

"You can do your job and not be professional," said Banks. "But you can be professional and show respect and not know all there is to know about your job and people will help you and do things to help you know your job."

Banks wants to be an officer someday and has set his sights on becoming a mental health doctor. To that end, he has been pursuing a bachelor's degree in sociology and will graduate next May.

Banks credits his family, friends and leadership for his success in the Air Force.

"I'm just thankful and grateful for leadership taking the time to nurture me, my family for putting up with me and my friends for moral support," said Banks.

"But no matter how my career progresses or how much responsibility I end up having, I always want to make time for my family."