PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - The North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U. S. Northern Command recognized their annual communications awards winners during a ceremony April 15. These awards recognize individuals who have provided sustained superior performance in communications and information support to the Air Force and/or Department of Defense missions and operations.
Maj. Gen. Dale W. Meyerrose, Director of NORAD Command Control Systems and USNORTHCOM Architectures and Integration, officiated.
Recognized were:
NORAD Noncommissioned Officer
Information Management
Air Force Staff Sgt. Donald E. Murchland III is an information manager for the NORAD intelligence directorate. He participated in the upgrade of the NORAD and USNORTHCOM secret local area network, installing Windows XP on 280 machines and ensuring the commands met security initiatives. Murchland also restored nine computers with hardware failures. He quickly replaced hard drives and restored intelligence analyst data, getting the machines back on-line in minutes.
NORAD Senior Noncommissioned Officer
Information Management
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Michael D. McCoy is the superintendent of information management and personnel in the operations directorate for NORAD headquarters. McCoy was the directorate's portal page manager, overseeing development of the operations portal pages on three separate LAN systems. McCoy provided guidance to the division portal page managers, ensuring the availability of user-friendly and relevant information.
NORAD Senior Noncommissioned Officer
Communications and Information
Air Force Master Sgt. David D. Hagedorn is the deputy chief of network integration at the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. He created an intricate Internet Protocol address, hostname, domain, operational position matrix to transition computer systems from the Contingency Relocation Center to the Command Center on all three operational networks. Hagedorn's entire crew moved seamlessly to the new command center with no disruption to mission operations. He also integrated the Missile Defense Center, Missile Defense liaison officer video capabilities allowing for the monitoring of both USNORTHCOM and U.S. Strategic Command missile warning data and providing mission redundancy.
USNORTHCOM Senior Noncommissioned Officer
Communications-Electronic Systems
Air Force Master Sgt. Dorian Coleman is the noncommissioned officer in charge of the information management command section, for NORAD and USNORTHCOM headquarters. He analyzed more than 3,000 responses to combatant command and joint staff taskings. Coleman's in-depth assessments and viable solutions to an electronic Tracking Management System enabled the command to implement product on time and improved productivity by 25 percent.
USNORTHCOM Airman
Communications-Computer Systems
Air Force Airman 1st Class James L. Mason is an intelligence system customer support technician for the intelligence directorate in USNORTHCOM headquarters. Mason is responsible for Help Desk customer support on the $85 million NORAD-USNORTHCOM Intelligence System wide area network, successfully supporting more than 950 users at 18 geographically separated locations. He provided direct support to the Operational Intelligence Watch, the commands' critical 24-hour intelligence sentry. Mason initiated 227 and completed 203 UNIX and Windows trouble tickets, 11 with urgent or emergency status.
USNORTHCOM Noncommissioned Officer
Communications-Computer Systems
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Koral III is the noncommissioned officer in charge of mission systems in the intelligence directorate of USNORTHCOM headquarters. Koral supervised 10 enlisted and contractor personnel in the management of the $85 million Intelligence System Mission systems level two-support branch. His team's efforts maintained 99.8 percent system availability to more than 950 users at 18 locations. Koral oversaw the engineering and installation of the Multi-Domain Dissemination System, enabling high speed movement of intelligence and imagery data between top secret SCI and collateral networks.
USNORTHCOM Senior Noncommissioned Officer
Communications-Computer Systems
Air Force Master Sgt. Rickey F. Reeves is the superintendent of operations and integrations branch for the Joint Communications Support Center in the architectures and integration directorate of USNORTHCOM headquarters. He led an on-site technical support team to the G-8 Summit and reach-back support for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, delivering situational awareness to Homeland Security teams preventing and responding to terrorist acts. Reeves directed the integration of communications and computer systems supporting command and control and situational awareness for 10 NORAD-USNORTHCOM battle operation centers, leveraging cutting-edge display and computer technology for real-time collaboration.
USNORTHCOM Company Grade Officer
Communications and Information
Air Force Maj. Paul F. King is the chief of video integration and operations of USNORTHCOM headquarters. King was an essential player in support planning for National Special Security Events throughout the year. He coordinated with Defense Information Systems Agency to plan long-lead circuit and video teleconference support for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions ensuring availability of vital secure video networks for command and control. Additionally, King coordinated deployed communication support to the Standing Joint Forces Headquarters-North cell during the G-8 Summit. His efforts ensured the availability of outstanding secure voice, video and data network for superior command and control and ultimate success of the G-8 Summit.
USNORTHCOM Field Grade Officer
Communications and Information
Air Force Maj. Thomas W. Wright is the chief, operations and maintenance division, Joint Forces Headquarters-National Capital Region. Wright designed a secure common operational picture that quickly provides leadership with a detailed air, ground and naval picture allowing the Joint Operations Center to quickly identify and respond to potential threats to the National Capital Region. He also identified major survivability issues with the Joint Forces Headquarters-National Capital Region Mobile Command Center satellite system.
USNORTHCOM Civilian Manager
Charles D. Wardle is the branch chief information technology specialist in the intelligence directorate of USNORTHCOM headquarters. Wardle served as the senior technical advisor and focal point for engineering, installation, operations and maintenance of intelligence systems, networks and communications for the Intelligence Systems Division. He re-engineered a major upgrade to the Joint Executive Video System providing direct, secure video conferencing support of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The installation ensured numerous executive sessions between the command and the White House during heightened threat levels.
USNORTHCOM Civilian Specialist
Dan Shigley is a long-haul communications specialist for the joint communication support center branch in the architectures and integration directorate. Shigley's efforts contributed directly to improving command and control and information sharing capabilities for NORAD and USNORTHCOM, facilitating planning, coordination and execution of eight exercises, four hurricane relief efforts, the G-8 Summit, Democratic and Republican National Conventions and other operations. He researched telecommunications industry standards and devised the optimum solution for the deployed personnel providing operations and maintenance of the Defense Red Switch Network.