DAR awards four Sheppard Airman

  • Published
  • By Debi Smith
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Major Francis Grice Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented their annual Sheppard Technical Training Instructor of the Year Awards at the Wichita Country Club March 28.

Master Sgt. Carl H. Collins 82nd Training Group, Tech. Sgt. James Gill of the 782nd TRG, Senior Master Sgt. Conrad J. O'Rourke of the 882nd TRG and Tech. Sgt. Dustin Dulier, 982nd Training Group, were this year's recipients of a plaque and $100 gift from the DAR Chapter for their achievement.

Sergeant O'Rourke is the Air Force instructor supervisor and the interim program director assigned to the Department of Defense Biomedical Equipment Technical Training School at the 382nd TRS. 

He is responsible for the professional development of 18 instructor staff and the technical training of active Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Airmen in Training within the DoD course. His efforts garnered recognition as the 882nd TRG Technical Training Senior NCO Instructor of the Quarter and of the Year for 2008.

He co-authored the student orientation plan for the technical training wing's longest 41-week, $32 million course. He also implemented the advanced sterilizer training course, which achieved the manufacturer's certification, representing an estimated savings of more than $500,000.

Sergeant O'Rourke completed 30 credits toward his Masters in Business Administration degree with a 3.9 grade point average and is enrolled in his last two classes.

Sergeant Collins, an aerospace ground equipment craftsman, is assigned as the 361st TRS Aerospace Propulsion Assistant Flight Chief.

Since being assigned to Sheppard, he has taught 2,100 hours of aerospace ground equipment instruction and led his flight to instruct an additional 45,000 hours to graduate more than 1,500 AiT.

His leadership and exceptional training abilities resulted in his selection as the 82nd TRG Senior NCO of the Quarter for January through March 2008 and Senior NCO Instructor of the Year for 2008.

Sergeant Dulier is a propulsion systems instructor assigned to the 373rd TRS, 982nd TRS at Sheppard. He is located at Detachment 8 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. In December 2007, he began his current position as KC-135R Propulsion Training Instructor.

He piloted all aspects of delivery of a $1.4 million dollar engine trainer from Tinker AFB, Okla. for technical training course use; taught the course the day after arrival and forestalled a three week course delay due to his efforts.

He has completed his Associates Degree in Liberal Arts with a 4.0 grade point average.

Sergeant Dulier was recognized for his teaching and leadership skills with the award for Detachment 8, the 373rd TRS and the 982nd TRG NCO Instructor of the Year for 2008.

Sergeant Gill, a master instructor of the fuels apprentice course, is assigned to the 364th TRS, stationed with Sheppard Third Logistics Squadron at Elmendorf, Alaska.

He was the catalyst to the "Iraqi Teaching Iraqi" Headquarters Air Force initiative to develop Iraqi air force courses in petroleum, oil and lubricants and co-developed the fundamentals of aircraft maintenance course for the Iraqi air force. 

Sergeant Gill has completed the Defense Language Institute's critical Arabic language course, using his skills to train 28 Iraqi air force students in aircraft maintenance. His efforts earned him the 2008 NCO Instructor of the Year honors.

The Wichita Falls Major Francis Grice chapter of DAR is the only chapter in Texas that recognizes military personnel in this way, said Mrs. Susan MacRae, the downtown coordinator for the military recognition program recognizing technical training instructors.

"This is the first year a monetary award was given with the plaque presentation," she said. "Our organization just wanted to make it even more significant to the winners we are honoring."