Award-winning controller acquired skills at Keesler

  • Published
When the Air Traffic Control Association announced its annual air traffic control awards earlier this month, an airmen at Balad Air Base, Iraq's own was acknowledged.

Senior Airman Joshua Matias, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air traffic control apprentice, was named the 2006 ATCA Lingiam Odems Memorial Award winner.

Airman Matias trained at Keesler with the 334th Training Squadron in 2003. He said that prepared him for his duties in his career field.

"The training was great," he said. "The instructors made it a big deal to explain the difference between classroom tech. school training and actual Air Force controlling.

"Without the basic foundation training provided at Keesler, I believe it would be difficult to turn out high-quality air traffic controllers," Airman Matias added.

The ATCA Lingiam Odems Memorial Award is presented to a military or civilian air traffic control specialist who in the previous year performed in an exemplary or extraordinary manner in support of military air traffic control facilities.

Airman Matias is in his second deployment to Balad. He was first deployed there from May through September 2005.

"I have been fortunate enough to have great leadership thus far in my career," said Airman Matias. "Without their expertise, the award wouldn't have been possible."

"He's an outstanding controller and Airman," said Senior Master Sgt. Garth Peterson, 332nd EOSS control tower chief controller. "When we found out he won the award, we were ecstatic. Part of him winning was based on work he did right here."

While proud to have been recognized on a national level, Airman Matias remains focused on the business at hand.

"The recognition is nice," he said, "but I (gain fulfillment) knowing that at the end of the day, I contributed directly to the mission. Whether that means getting a fighter up in the air to drop bombs or bringing a cargo plane in with supplies, I know I had a part in that."

The 21-year-old Airman from Milwaukee, Wis., said, "The Air Force has been great to me thus far. I just recently re-enlisted for five more years."

(Senior Airman Josh Moshier, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs, and 2nd Lt. Nick Plante, Keesler News staff, contributed to this report.)