NCO wins Air Force award Published April 21, 2010 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Tech. Sgt. Robert Rakes, 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron, is the Air Force's air transportation noncommissioned officer of the year. Sergeant Rakes, who serves as the 81st LRS cargo deployment training manager, filled a unique role as security force civil affairs agent for the Army during a demanding joint expeditionary tasking deployment to Afghanistan. His comprehensive tracking system that monitored three of eight critical NATO operations districts was cited as a key to Afghan stability. He responded to six children injured by an improvised explosive device, initiating IVs , stemming blood loss and securing the landing zone which resulted in three lives being saved. Sergeant Rakes initiated 30 quick impact projects valued at $300,000 which improved the quality of life for 280,000 Afghans by standing up eight schools, four medical clinics and 15 water wells. He executed 144 missions that provided combat support to the International Security Assist-ance Force and Afghan troops to stabilize the volatile south Kapisa region. He trained four provisional reconstruction team members and eight security forces troops on the RG-31 mine resistant ambush protected vehicle and conducted a 67-man orientation for transfer of authority. Sergeant Rakes devised an extensive vehicle plan that expanded counter-insurgency reach by more than 75 percent. He led a 16-man team that retrieved three combat-damaged vehicles, reclaiming $1 million in task force assets and saving $60,000 in recovery costs. He implemented a hasty vehicle recovery procedure using pre-attached straps that reduced time in the kill zone from four minutes to one minute. He was selected by the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander to brief the provincial reconstruction team mission to the Air Force chief of staff to share an Airman's unique contributions in a joint overseas contingency operation.