Alamo wing captain earns maintenance award

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brian McGloin
  • 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  She was surprised with the award presentation one Saturday morning during a drill weekend -- she was caught off-guard, still in her physical training uniform, for the quick ceremony by the flightline, mere yards from the C-5A Galaxy cargo aircraft her Airmen keep aloft.

Capt. Jenny Martin, 433rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance officer, was presented with a plaque for the 2010 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez award for the category of company grade manager for her management of the maintenance of the Alamo Wing's C-5s.

"It's an honor to me because I've spent 20 years in maintenance," she said of the award. "I'm honored to receive the award."

The award is part of the Maintenance Awards Program, which recognizes individuals and organizations within the maintenance community for their outstanding contributions to the success of the Air Force and Department of Defense maintenance mission, as defined in Air Force Instruction 36-2818.

Captain Martin said she has been around military aircraft and involved in different aspects of military aircraft maintenance for a long time, and she has a good deal of experience to show for it.

"It makes me reflect in my entire career, helicopters, cargo planes, military, civilian, as a maintenance officer and as a crew chief."

"Her superior efforts led the maintenance group to achieve 1,041 flying hours with 319 sorties during the third quarter of 2010," said Lt. Col. Kirk Peddicord, 433rd Maintenance Group commander.

Captain Martin said the award shows her devotion to military aviation, both in her military life at the Alamo Wing and her civilian job at Corpus Christi Army Depot, Texas.

"I have a very strong passion for aviation maintenance," she said.

Captain Martin said the award showed the scope of the work the Airmen in the maintenance squadron do to keep the aircraft in the air.

"It's a collection of the individual effort of everyone in the unit; the contributions of all the aircraft maintainers," she said. "To me this award is the highest honor collectively of my entire 20-year aviation maintenance career."