AFRL Airman named AFSA Div. 1 NCOIC of the Year

  • Published
  • By Gina Marie Giardina
  • 711th Human Performance Wing

An Airman in the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing was awarded Noncommissioned Officer of the Year at the Air Force Sergeants Association Division 1 Annual Convention and Reunion held at the Hope Hotel & Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center here March 25.

 

Tech. Sgt. Dominque Brown, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of Aerospace Toxicology in the Airman Systems Directorate, competed against members from across 30 active and reserve bases. 

 

“This has been such a humbling experience, and an opportunity I’m truly grateful to have had,” said Brown. “This never would have been possible without the support of MSgt MaryElizabeth (sic) Penny and my amazing leadership as well as the wonderful people I have met and worked with in AFSA.”

 

“Tech. Sgt. Brown is an amazing Airman,” said Maj. Anthony Polito, Molecular Bioeffects Branch chief. “She arrived on station in June 2016 and hit the ground running.”

 

Brown moves on in the competition to the AFSA International Convention Professional Airmen's Conference in Reno, Nevada, July 22-26 as the Division 1 nominee, where she will compete against six other division nominees. There are seven divisions in AFSA.

 

According to the AFSA website, their mission is “to advocate improved quality of life and economic fairness that will support the well-being of Air Force enlisted personnel; active, retired and veteran.” On the AFSA Facebook page, one of their messages states “we defend those who defend us.”

 

That very message was woven in each statement made by Polito as he discussed Brown’s accomplishments and undertakings, which not only show her dedication to her field of study, but to her fellow Airmen as well.

 

“She has made significant contributions to chemical exposure, hyperoxia and G-strain research, which protects approximately 3,000 military pilots from all services in the Department of Defense. She was also an author on a Technical Report exposing the link between jet fuel exposure and hearing loss, which resulted in the Air Force Altering operational exposure limits. In addition, Brown took it upon herself to revamp the Branch’s physical training program, increasing spirit de corps and resulting in 75 percent of the organization now scoring an Excellent rating on their evaluations,” explained Polito. “And with all of that, she has even managed to begin training for the Air Force Marathon in September.”

 

“Brown is an example to all of us and I’m proud to have her on my team!”