NY Air Guard Staff Sgt. Kelly Reynolds, a Brewerton resident, receives recognition from 107,000-member Air National Guard
Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York (11/27/2023) — A Brewerton resident assigned to the New York Air National Guard's Syracuse-based 152nd Air Operations Group has been recognized by the 107,000-member Air National Guard for her skills in air battle management.
Staff Sgt. Kelly Reynolds was named as a top Command and Control Battle Management Operator by the Air Guard.
Two other members of the unit, Master Sgt. Mark Weekes, a Schenectady resident; and Capt. Nicholas Guilbeault, who lives in Clifton Park, were also recognized.
The 152nd Air Operations Group provides trained personnel to serve in the Air Force's European Air Operations Center in Ramstein, Germany. 152nd personnel have played a role in NATO air missions overwatching the war in Ukraine, as well as in Africa.
Command and control battle management operators are responsible for monitoring air operations and assisting commanders in carrying out Air Force missions.
Colonel Kevin St. John, the commander of the 152nd, said that winning the award "is a testament to our Citizen Airmen's readiness and capabilities. Each left their civilian life to step in and fulfill an operational need - and each excelled."
"What's most notable is it took little more than a plane ticket to have them go from your next-door neighbor to a front-line warfighter. I could not be prouder of them," St. John said.
Reynolds was recognized for her efforts in working with government agencies and other Air Force units for her work in managing air drops, coordinating the movement of air passengers, and also dealing with aircraft responding to distress signals in the Central Command area of operations, according to her citation.
She was the first member of the 152nd to become certified at Central Commands Joint Personnel Recovery Center, which deals with downed airmen, as lead mission planner.
She deconflicted the response to inflight emergencies with multiple government agencies and other Air force units. Her actions provided real-time information that led to first responders protecting six aircraft and their crew members, her citation says.
She responded to and oversaw numerous distress signals with recovery needs from dozens of allied countries. Additionally, she coordinated movement for hundreds of personnel across three different theaters around the world, ensuring vital manpower for the commander while simultaneously managing several coalition Air Force airdrops, according to the citation.
Her determination, attention to detail, and effort that she demonstrated during these events enabled the safe return of American military personnel and 100% accountability across the entire region, her citation says.
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