(Syracuse, NY – Feb. 9, 2014) The New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing recognizes Tech. Sgt. Brent Wightman of Syracuse, N.Y. as the Noncommissioned Officer of the Year on Sunday, Feb. 9 during a ceremony held at Hancock Field, Syracuse.
Wightman oversees the Squadron Standardization and Evaluation section, where he flawlessly tracked duty position qualifications for 85 personnel.
He is an avid community volunteer, supporting the local Salvation Army Distribution day and Habitat for Humanity projects.
Wightman was a key member of the Combat Arms cadre during a recent trip to Fort Indian Town Gap, Penn., assigned as the range Safety Officer where he safely oversaw the expenditure of 114,000 rounds of ammunition.
Wightman receives his award during a wing ceremony to honor its hometown heroes, some 135 members of the 174th Attack Wing who mobilized and served at home or overseas in support of the Air Force overseas contingency operations.
The 174th Attack Wing was established in 1947 as the first Air National Guard flying unit in New York State. It currently flies the state-of-the-art MQ-9 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The wing conducts its combat mission as well as its multiple training missions, including operating the Field Training Detachment (FTD) which trains all Air Force personnel on MQ-9 maintenance procedures, and the Formal Training Unit (FTU) which provides initial qualification training to MQ-9 aircrews.