100th SFS Airman takes top Air Force honor, second in as many years for squadron

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Ask Master Sgt. John Carter to explain why he was chosen as one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2009, and he'll struggle to produce a solid reason.

Ask him to attribute his success to someone else in his life, however, and the only struggle he'll face is how many people to name before he runs out of breath.

The noncommissioned officer in charge of the 100th Security Forces Squadron Standards and Evaluations division is humble from the word "go," taking little or no credit for his accomplishments and lavishing praise on those around him.

Sergeant Carter was officially notified recently of his selection and thought the phone call from then U.S. Air Forces in Europe vice commander Maj. Gen. Marc E. Rogers, was a joke.

"At first I thought, ah, man, shut up - of course I didn't actually say that," the master sergeant said, laughing. "But I couldn't understand why a general would be calling me on my cell phone. Then he told me I won."

Needless to say, Sergeant Carter was shocked.

"I didn't know what to say."

Despite his disbelief at his selection, Sergeant Carter said it's a "complete honor" to have been selected out of so many qualified candidates.

"There are so many people who I work with and around who deserve this as much as I do," he said. The sergeant added his team and leadership from his most recent deployment to Baghdad, in addition to his 100th SFS associates, had as much to do with his success as he did.

The 15-year veteran has spent his entire career in Security Forces, and said he wouldn't have stayed this long if he didn't love the life. Life in the 100th SFS seems to be the kind that inspires excellence, as Master Sergeant Carter is the second person from the unit in as many years to be named one of the 12 Outstanding Airman of the Year. Senior Airman Alicia Goetschel, also from the 100th SFS, was given the honor in 2008.

The sergeant said to make the list is an honor in itself, but to earn the honor for his unit for the second year in a row is unbelievable and brings a sense of pride he hopes the whole squadron can share. Sergeant Carter added the fantastic leadership, from the squadron all the way to the wing level, made the consecutive honors possible.

The leadership, on the other hand, said it's people at Sergeant Carter's level who make the squadron what it is.

Lt. Col. Don Robertson, who has been the commander of the 100th SFS for less than a month, said the fact that two members of the squadron have won the award shows the "culture of excellence perpetuated by people like Sergeant Carter."

The commander said the noncommissioned officer leadership in his new squadron is some of the best he's ever seen.

"The professionalism and adherence to standards here is fairly extraordinary," he said. The lieutenant colonel added while he's hopeful for more awards like this in the future, he's confident his people are committed to the most important mission of all: protecting Team Mildenhall and answering their nation's call to duty.

According to one of Sergeant Carter's biggest admirers, his passion for his job of safeguarding his extended Air Force family directly mirrors his role as a father and husband. Leah Carter, his wife of 11 years, said he's the best partner anyone could ask for.

"I don't know how to describe him, really," she said of her husband and father of their three children. "Even after 11 years of marriage, I'm still in awe of him.

"He's just a very good man," she added.

The feelings Mrs. Carter has toward her husband are more than reciprocated. While he has no problem rattling off a seemingly never-ending list of people who have contributed to his success, Sergeant Carter is very careful to mention one final person before he wraps it up.

"Without my wife," he said with absolute conviction, "I'd never be where I am today."