Senior Airman Adam Spinner, a Westhampton Beach resident, is Airman of the Year for New York Air Guard and northeast region

Westhampton Beach, New York (03/06/2024) — New York Air National Guard Senior Airman Adam Spinner, a member of the 106th Rescue Wing and a resident of Westhampton Beach, has been selected as the top Airman of the year for 2023 for the New York Air National Guard and the northeast.

Spinner is a pararescueman assigned to the 103rd Rescue Squadron of the 106th Rescue Wing, based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

As a pararescueman, Spinner's duties include conducting personnel recovery missions, performing peacetime humanitarian aid, search, and rescue, and conducting disaster relief operations.

Pararescue Airmen go through two years of training which involves hi and lo altitude parachuting, scuba, emergency medical training, weapons expertise, and survival, escape and evasion skills.

Spinner enlisted in the United States Air Force in December 2013 to become a pararescueman. After graduating from Basic Military Training and completing the pararescue training pipeline in April 2017, he was assigned to the 103rd Rescue Squadron.

Spinner was named Airman of the Year for the New York Air National Guard after competing against winners at five other New York Air National Guard wings last year.

He has now been named the Airman of the Year for Region 1, which encompasses the eight northeastern states.

Spinner will now be evaluated against other Air Guard Airmen from across the country to be named the best in the 100,000-member Air National Guard.

"It is an honor to be recognized, more importantly, it is an honor to be a representative of the 103rd and 106th's flexibility, support, and professionalism," said Spinner.

Spinner added that he said he appreciates the support of his fellow Airmen in the 106th Rescue Wing,

Col. Shawn Fitzgerald, the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing, praised Spinner for his service and commitment.

"Senior Airman Adam Spinner not only raised the standard within our wing but has since been recognized at both the state and region 1 level. It's a tremendous accomplishment and a direct reflection on all the quality Airmen that are part of the 106th Rescue Wing," Fitzgerald said.

The 106th Rescue Wing, based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, operates and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft and the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter. The 106th Rescue Wing is home to a special warfare squadron with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers, specializing in rescue and recovery, and deploys for domestic and overseas operations.

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