SAN ANGELO, Texas – Sailors assigned to Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Monterey Detachment Goodfellow received four awards at the Air Force 17th Training Wing’s Joint-Service annual awards banquet on Feb. 24, 2024.
While the majority of the Wing’s awards are exclusive to the Air Force service members, the Raiders Joint Excellence Awards are open to allow sister services to compete for.
andidates for these joint service awards may compete in five categories: Senior Service Member of the Year (E7-E9), Service Member of the Year (E5-E6), Junior Service Member of the Year (E4-below), Volunteer of the Year, and Joint Color Guard Member of the Year.
Despite compromising only three percent of the military population on Goodfellow Air Force Base, this marks the second consecutive year that IWTC has swept all the categories in which they could compete.
hief Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Miranda Lew won Senior Service Member of the Year. Lew is also IWTC Monterey’s current Senior Instructor of the Year. She serves as a department leading chief petty officer, Apprentice Cryptologic Language Analyst (ACLA) Chinese instructor supervisor, command language program manager, command Sailor 360 coordinator, Senior Watch Officer, and president for the Chief Petty Officer Association.
Cryptologic Technician Interpretive 1st Class Samuel VanderArk won the Service Member of the Year. VanderArk is the current IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow Sailor of the Year. He serves as an ACLA Arabic instructor supervisor, divisional leading petty officer, the command financial specialist, and assistant command language program manager.
Aviation Boatswains Mate Handling 1st Class Johnithan Bush won Volunteer of the Year. Bush instructs for the Louis F. Garland DOD Fire Academy’s Fire Protection Apprentice Course. He organized all Navy Detachment volunteer events, including work with the Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, Adopt a Highway, and Naval funeral honors across the state of Texas. Bush’s volunteer efforts helped foster strong relationships between the Navy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, and the San Angelo community.
Aviation Boatswains Mate Handling 2nd Class Jesus Chavez won Color Guard Member of the Year. Chavez also instructs at Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy’s Fire Protection Apprentice Course. He represented the Navy at 12 joint service color guard ceremonies and public events, including the 17th Training Group change of command ceremony, the 316th Training Squadron change of responsibility, and the City Hall presentation of colors.
“To witness our Sailors receiving these awards at the annual awards banquet was an honor and a privilege,” said Lt. Cdr. Nick Leyba, officer in charge, IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow. “Their selection highlights their dedication, sacrifice, and commitment on and off duty. It was no easy feat. Not only did they have to excel at the detachment level, but they also had to earn the selection against all the outstanding joint service personnel stationed at Goodfellow in the respective categories. The Sailors’ abilities to earn these accolades is a testament to the ‘Culture of Excellence’ we uphold here at IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow.”
Col. Angelina Maguinness, commander, Goodfellow Air Force Base; Chief Master Sergeant Khamillia Washington, Command Chief Master Sergeant of Goodfellow Air Force Base; and Chief Master Sergeant Alex J. Eudy, commandant, Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, formally recognized the Sailors when they received their awards.