NCO earns AETC airfield management award Published March 23, 2010 By Angela Cutrer 81st Training Wing Public Affiars KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Tech. Sgt. James Gross, an 81st Operations Support Flight quality assurance evaluator, is Air Education and Training Command's airfield management noncommissioned officer of the year for 2009. Sergeant Gross is currently deployed to the 532nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, where he serves as deputy airfield manager. He was honored for his accomplishments both at Keesler as well as in Iraq, said Justin Cooper, chief of airfield operations at Keesler. At Keesler, Sergeant Gross served as the point of contact for Keesler's 2009 air show's ground operations that included 35 parked aircraft with 6,000 feet of barriers and 40 booths for 142,000 visitors. He also synchronized Keesler's $2.8 million airfield repair project by juggling dynamic airfield parking plan to ensure 403rd Wing and 45th Airlift Squadron continuity. In Iraq, Sergeant Gross supervised Al Asad airfield operations and its 4½ tons of cargo and 1,200 sorties processed; crafted a parking plan for transfer of T-6s to Iraq by being the linchpin to the historic and inaugural Iraqi pilot training program; conceptualized the airfield driving program transformation from the Marine Corps to the Air Force during a senior airport authority transition; taught 15 Al Asad airfield driving classes, trained 362 personnel on airfield driving procedures to impact safety measures; and identified a major joint sealant pavement failure and oversaw primary Al Asad runway repairs to prevent a closure that would impact Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sergeant Gross conducted 23 airfield inspections, one of which resulted in correcting united facility criteria violations by repairing a five-inch hole to avert potential aircraft.