Setting standards high: Rescue Reservist receives John L. Levitow award

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Natasha Dowridge
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. --  A 920th Rescue Wing Reserve Airman recently set the standard high for the combat-search-and-rescue wing by becoming the first 920th reservist to receive the John L. Levitow award from Airman Leadership School (ALS) since the wing stood up here in 1992.

Newly promoted Staff Sgt. Jennafur Williams, an integrated avionics guidance and control specialist with the 920th maintenance squadron, attended ALS from Jul. 29 - Aug. 29 here with the active-duty component of the Air Force.

ALS is designed to develop Airmen into effective supervisors. It is the first professional military education enlisted Airmen encounter.

The John L. Levitow award is presented to the top student in each ALS class, who student scored the highest on objective tests, performance evaluations, peer rankings and staff rankings. Any student who fails any summative objective or performance evaluation becomes ineligible for the award.

"I feel really honored to have won the award," said Williams, who also attributed her success to having a great flight and instructors.

In the wing's 20 year at Patrick AFB, the John L. Levitow award has never gone to a reservist, but to its Active-duty counterpart.

"As a reservist I don't think we realize what it means to win this award."

Williams took the class on base. The leadership course is 24 days with 192 hours of instruction including: communication building, bullet statement writing, leadership tools training, and customs and courtesies.

"If you have the opportunity to go in residence do it," recommended Williams "Go with a positive attitude, put in work and have resilience."

Williams, who joined the Reserve in 2008, has already won the Airman of the Year in 2010 and on two separate occasions won Airmen of the Quarter.

With these achievements, she plans on pursuing her Air Force Reserve career at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. There, the Chicago native will continue her degree in engineering at the University of Washington and begin working on C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft.

During her time here, she worked on the wing's HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and HC-130P/N refueling aircraft. Williams also served as a key participant for the maintenance component of unfolding and folding the wing's aircraft during the wing's operation readiness inspection in April.

Although Williams performed her last unit training assembly this weekend with the 920th RQW, it was evident that there would be a void within the shop.

"Williams is very driven and leadership oriented," said Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Grant, 920th maintenance squadron, avionics flight chief. She's always looking at the next step and trying to make a difference. She will truly be missed."