NEW ORLEANS -- Two Marines and one squadron from 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve are scheduled to receive awards from the Marine Corps Aviation Association May 19-21 for outstanding achievements conducted during 2010.
These awards are up for grabs each year for competing Marines and units throughout all four Marine Aircraft Wings. This year 4th MAW took home several awards.
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452, Sgt. Catalina Delgado, the supply response division noncommissioned officer in charge, with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 49; and Gunnery Sgt. Garry Sandy, the maintenance management chief for Marine Wing Support Squadron 472 are the award winners from 4th MAW.
VMGR-452 is scheduled to be awarded the Pete Ross award for aviation safety for compiling the best safety record over the past year.
“We strive to incorporate safety and ORM (operational risk management) into everything we do by maintaining a dynamic safety program which solicits inputs from all of our Marines,” said Master Sgt. Michael Wason, VMGR-452 Department of Safety and Standardization chief.
The award was established in memory of 1st Lt. Joseph “Pete” Ross who died while engaged in aerial flight during an active reserve drill at Naval Air Station Glenview, Ill.
Sgt. Catalina Delgado, the supply response division noncommissioned officer in charge, with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 49, is scheduled to be awarded the Kenneth W. Southcomb award as the aviation supply Marine of the year.
“I don’t feel I did anything out of the ordinary to win this award,” said Delgado. “I work hard every day not to gain recognition but to get the job done, and done well.”
The Kenneth W. Southcomb award was established in honor of Master Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth W. Southcomb, a leader in the field of aviation supply, who served with distinction for 30 years.
This will be only the second time in history a sergeant or below has been awarded the Kenneth W. Southcomb award.
Gunnery Sgt. Garry Sandy, the maintenance management chief for Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, is scheduled to be awarded the James Maguire award for exceptional achievement in logistics.
“To me (this award) means that those who spent time mentoring me and standing by my side did not fail in putting their trust in me,” said Sandy. “That my family who supported me when I decided to join the Marine Corps can be proud, and my wife who stood by my side also gets an award in seeing all the hard work she put into me pay off.”
The James Maguire Award was established in memory of Gunnery Sgt. James Maguire, the first enlisted Marine ordered to aviation duty, who served with Alfred A. Cunningham at the Annapolis Aviator Camp, Md.
“So far all the Marines in my command now believe that hard work can be rewarded,” Sandy said. “I have trained them that seeing the job done is a reward in itself, but it does not hurt to be recognized.”
The award winners are slated to be honored during the 40th annual MCAA symposium and awards dinner May 19-21 in San Diego, Calif.
The MCAA awards are on permanent display at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, Calif.