129th Rescue Wing honors top performers

Story by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman
Photos by Senior Airman Duane Ramos
129th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

Dec. 7, 2021

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The sounds of cheers and cowbells rang out across a Santa Clara hotel ballroom Saturday night as members of the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing rooted on their own during the wing’s annual Outstanding Airman of the Year Awards Banquet.

The celebration comes at the end of a year in which the wing continued its COVID-19 pandemic support missions, served on overseas deployments and worked historic wildfires here at home, while maintaining its readiness and performing the long-range overwater search and rescue missions that give the wing its name.

“We are not living in anything like normal times,” U.S. Air Force Col. Jeffrey Waldman, wing commander, told the crowd. “The work an operational tempo of this wing, like much of the National Guard, has been remarkable and unrelenting over the last two years.”

The banquet marked the wing’s first large gathering in two years as the ongoing pandemic sidelined plans for a 2020 ceremony and other wing-wide celebrations.

One by one, Waldman recounted to the crowd the wing’s accomplishments since December 2019.

Fresh off the heels of a successful capstone inspection, the wing launched full-throttle into a variety of COVID-19 support missions, Waldman said.

“The wing, along with our partners from the rest of California’s Army and Air National Guard, entered a phase of unrelenting domestic operations,” he said.

From food banks to field hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, mass vaccination sites and morgues, Airmen from the wing answered California’s call.

And they did it while mobilizing for civil unrest missions, and continuing federal missions at home and abroad, Waldman said.

“The demands of us as Guardsmen have wildly exceeded that of our active duty or reserve colleagues,” Waldman said. “I find it incredibly rewarding to be in the thick of things as our state has faced unprecedented challenges.

Waldman wasn’t the only one who lauded the wing’s efforts. Mountain View Mayor Ellen Kamei presented Waldman with a certificate of recognition for the wing and spoke to Airmen in the room.

“The wing answers the call of duty, from anywhere in the world, when search and rescue is needed,“ Kamei said. “There’s no question. Mountain View is proud to be home to the 129th Rescue Wing, and we are proud of all of you.”

Waldman lauded all Airmen in the audience and hailed the support of spouses and family members before turning the spotlight on the evening’s honorees.

“Be proud of what you’ve done,” he said, “and be especially proud of the outstanding Airmen we are celebrating tonight. After all, they distinguished themselves in truly remarkable times when there has been a fertile ground for outstanding work.”

Staff Sgt. Michael Goggins, of the 129th Communications Flight, earned the night’s first trophy presentation when he was named Outstanding Airman of the Year in a category to recognize junior enlisted Airmen.

Master Sgt. Alex Miller, of the 131st Rescue Squadron, earned Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer of the Year honors while Master Sgt. Nadia Ituarte, of the 129th Comptroller Flight, took home the eagle and flag statuette as Outstanding Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

Master Sgt. Desean Castaneda, of the 129th Maintenance Group, wrapped up the night’s enlisted honors while being named Outstanding First Sgt. of the Year.

The 129th Operations Group hailed one of its own as Capt. Austin Rose was named Outstanding Company Grade Officer of the Year and Lt. Col. Brian Deuel earned Outstanding Field Grade Officer of the Year recognition representing the 129th Maintenance Group.

The wing also honored the top performers from its California State Guard support group when it recognized California State Guard Senior Airman Carmen Johnson, Tech. Sgt. Jack Stanley, Master Sgt. Kevin Bornkamp and 1st Lt. Vadim Rotberg.

Winners will represent the wing and compete for statewide honors when the California Air National Guard names its Outstanding Airmen of the Year from nominees advanced by the state’s five wings and the California State Guard selects its statewide award recipients early next year.