Keesler wins communications, information awards Published April 2, 2009 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS. -- Keesler claimed four awards in Air Education and Training Command's communications and information awards competition for 2008: Staff Sgt. Jose Gonzalez, 81st Training Support Squadron, noncommissioned officer. Maj. Carol Blackington, 333rd Training Squadron, field grade officer. 333rd TRS, National Level Information Systems Security Award (organization). 338th TRS, Maj. Gen. Harold McClelland Award. Sergeant Gonzalez, a curriculum developer, was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., before arriving at Keesler in June. He coordinated Tyndall's Giant Voice project, upgrading 11 antiquated sites and increasing emergency warning coverage by 36 percent. He streamlined equipment management procedures, developed a tracking database for $250,000 in assets and performed 215 preventive maintenance inspections. He trained eight Airmen on 77 tasks, increasing shop task coverage by 50 percent. Sergeant Gonzalez also led two radio teams for Tyndall's air show last year, providing public address and air-to-ground communication for the Thunderbirds. Major Blackington handles dual responsibilities as squadron director of operations and Scope Eagle director. She came to Keesler in June after serving a one-year assignment at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, where she directed Air Force Central Command's largest technical control facility and Air Combat Command's largest standard technical entry point. At Al Udeid, she led 55 technical flights and executed a $12.5 contract that ensured reliable command, control, communication and computers at 35 Department of Defense sites in 12 countries and pioneered a $1 million Defense Information System Agency router upgrade. The 333rd TRS information systems security team of 12 military and civilian members who prepared 634 network technicians in 80 classes that provided 7,388 hours of critical network security training. The team taught 400 hours of transient electromagnetic pulse surveillance technology certification training for 80 emissions security managers, trained eight DOD instructor during the Bulwark Defender exercise and trained 170 computer security managers. The 338th TRS was recognized as the command's most outstanding communications-electronics organization with the McClelland Award. The squadron managed more than $200 million in training assets and deployed 42 mobile teams to train 303 Airmen, saving more than $600,000 in temporary duty costs. The unit trained 6,000 students despite the loss of 35 percent of the military instructor core as 33 were deployed in support of the global war on terror. Earlier this year, the 338th TRS was recognized as AETC's training squadron of the year for 2008.