Sijan award to Sheppard's own

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Capt. Thomas Eckel, 366th Training Squadron Detachment 3, received the Lance P. Sijan Award June 29 for demonstrating a high quality of leadership in his job and life. 

Captain Eckel is currently the Nuclear Ordnance Division Officer at the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal where he leads 14 military and civilian instructors and more than 90 students. He is also the deputy commander for the detachment where he is in charge of 40 staff members and about 200 students. 

The captain has made many sacrifices to be worthy of a leadership award as prestigious as the Sijan. In 2008 he was sent on a six-month deployment to Iraq, in addition to a rigorous three months of pre-deployment training, he said. 

"The biggest sacrifice is being away from my family and missing my four kids growing up. I just returned from a nine-month deployment and missed the entire 2008-2009 school year. My family makes the biggest sacrifice, as does any deployed military member's family," Captain Eckel said.

While in Iraq he was the operations officer for the Weapons Intelligence Teams throughout the country.

"It is a great honor to just be nominated for this award and is truly a shock to actually have won. It's a reflection of the great people I work with in explosive ordinance disposal and the support of my family both when I'm home and deployed," Captain Eckel said. "I feel I earned this award because my troops and their accomplishments while deployed as well as my involvement with my family and their activities."

The Sijan award isn't just about great leadership. It's awarded to leaders involved in the community as well.

"Most of my volunteer work comes as I do things with my family when I'm home between deployments. I have coached YMCA soccer for the last two years and will be an assistant coach this fall for the city league. I get involved in many of my family's activities as well, like Brownies and Cub Scouts," the captain said.

Criteria for this prestigious award include: Scope of responsibility, professional leadership, leadership image and community involvement. Captain Eckel met those requirements by going above and beyond standard Airman activities.