Sheppard names Military Family of the Year Published Oct. 31, 2008 By Stacy Horany Times Record News WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- For Maj. Shevonne Scott and her family, the Air Force core principal of service before self is not just a motto, its a way of life. Scott, a member of the 882nd Training Group, her husband Greg and their children Sekayi, Malcom and Sienna were honored Thursday evening as the 2008 Sheppard Air Force Base Military Family of the Year, according to Valerie Cook, community readiness consultant with the Airman and Family Readiness Center at Sheppard. We consider not just what mom and dad do, but also what the children do to contribute to the community and what makes them special to the Sheppard community, Cook said. We look at the whole family. Cook said for the Scott family, several key activities caught the deciding panels attention when they chose them to be the family of the year. Shevonne and Greg started a marriage-building group -- an in-home family support group that allowed them to mentor 10 other couples in that area, Cook said. Shevonne was the 82nd Training Wing point of contact for Freedom Fest and she coordinated Tops in Blue with 15,000 people attending. Cook said along with being the point of contact for Freedom Fest, the Scott family also maintained a booth at the festival. She said the Scott family also reached out to the wider community in several key areas. They donated time and means to the citys food drive, collecting over 1,600 cans of food, Cook said. She said daughter Sekayi got into the service act by washing cars to supplement funds for a youth group retreat and raised $500 in the process. 82nd Training Wing Vice Commander Col. David Norsworthy said the family of the year award is a great way to show appreciation for the families who support Sheppard personnel each and every day. You hear a lot about supporting the troops, but these families live it every day. No one sacrifices like they do, or worries like they do or cheers us on like they do. They make us strong, and were so very grateful for that. (Tonight) is just a small way for us to say Thank you. For their efforts, Cook said the family received a gift basket Thursday night that included a $100 gift card to both the base commissary and the base exchange, $100 in Services Bucks, a three-day pass from Brig. Gen. O.G. Mannon, 82nd Training Wing commander, and an 8-by-10 portrait from local photographer Milestones of Memories. Cook said there were 10 nominee families for this years award from the 82nd Training Group, the 80th Flying Training Wing and the 82nd Mission Support Group. Other nominee families were: · Capt. Pattie Jackson, 82nd Training Group · Capt. Joshua Caldon, 80th Flying Training Wing · Capt. James Pitts, 82nd Training Wing · 1st Lt. Jason Forquer, 82nd Medical Group · Master Sgt. Kevin Clark, 982nd Training Group · Master Sgt. Leon Callaway, 782nd Training Group · Master Sgt. Keith Fitzpatrick, 80th Flying Training Wing · Tech. Sgt. Michael Holder, 82nd Mission Support Group · Senior Airman Caleb Ferguson, 82nd Mission Support Group (Stacy Horany is a reporter with the Wichita Falls Times Record News. To view the story on the Times Record News Web site, click here.)