Combined CCAF, PME ceremony held to recognize Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Curtis J. Lenz
  • 157th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. --  Airmen assigned to the 157th Air Refueling Wing were recognized during a combined Community College of the Air Force and Professional Military Education ceremony in Building 149, April 12.

Senior leaders and members of the wing, as well as friends and family of those being recognized, attended the event.

Staff Sgt. Patrick Viau, a member of the 64th Air Refueling Squadron and guest speaker and CCAF graduate, quoted President John F. Kennedy as the significance of each graduates accomplishment, "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

Granite State College Admissions Coach Betty Pappa provided graduates her top five reasons for pursuing education during her commencement speech.

"Education is an investment in yourself; educate to challenge yourself; education is opportunity; education expands your mind; education improves your ability to think," she said.

Senior Airman Christopher Wood, a 2014 graduate of Airman Leadership School at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Tenn., spoke about his ALS experience.
"I absolutely loved the course," he said. "It's probably the best [Air Force] course I've attended."

157th Air Refueling Wing Commander Col. Shawn Burrus reflected on the importance of education, as well as the significance of the graduates accomplishments.

"By committing yourself to a life long journey of education, through reading books, taking courses, completing PME, all of those elements," Burrus said. "It's committing yourself to wanting to learn."

Cheered on by others, the graduates will now go on to use their degrees to benefit their military and civilian careers, as well as making their communities stronger.
The CCAF program is the only college in the world dedicated to the education of enlisted members of the military. 

It started July 14, 1976 when President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-361 authorizing the commander of Air Training Command to confer associate degrees to enlisted Airmen. The CCAF awarded its first associate degree in April 1977. Today, the CCAF is regionally accredited by the Southern Associations of Colleges and School.

As a crucial step in career progression for both enlisted and commissioned Air Force members. PME graduates were from ALS, NCO Academy and Joint Senior NCO Academy.

To learn more about the CCAF program or PME, contact the 157th Force Support Squadron Education Flight at 603-430-3518.

Professional Military Education Class of 2014

157th Air Refueling Wing
TSgt Thomas Johnson                        Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Mark Wyatt                                     Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SrA James George                               Airman Leadership School
SSgt Ryan Oconnor                              Airman Leadership School

133rd Air Refueling Squadron
SSgt Beverly Cole                                  Airman Leadership School

157th Security Forces
MSgt Daric Buttrick                                Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
MSgt Matthew Schoff                             Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
MSgt Timothy Hackett                           Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Michael Johnson                          Noncommissioned Officer Academy
MSgt Jeremiah Neault                          Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SrA Eric Cloutier                                     Airman Leadership School
SSgt Devin Godfrey                               Airman Leadership School
SSgt Joshua Heiseler                          Airman Leadership School

157th Logistics Readiness Squadron
TSgt Patricia Covolo                             Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Michael Glennon                          Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Kevin Leach                                  Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Christopher McGraw                   Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Mike Toth                                       Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Michael Tower                              Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Michael Zayac                               Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Jonathon P. Febonio                   Airman Leadership School
SrA Christopher Wood                         Airman Leadership School

157th Communications Flight
TSgt Gabriel Howard                            Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Matthew Jensen                           Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Alexander Geske                          Airman Leadership School

64th Air Refueling Squadron
TSgt Roberto L. Short                            Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Joseph Hewitt                                Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Geoffrey Schultz                             Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Amanda Ampey                             Airman Leadership School
SSgt Christopher Boyer                         Airman Leadership School
SSgt Austin Kotch                                   Airman Leadership School
SSgt Patrick Viau                                    Airman Leadership School
SSgt Kyle Vanderwagen                       Airman Leadership School
SrA Jessica Cervantes                         Airman Leadership School
SrA Shaun Conners                              Airman Leadership School
SrA Loraine Ermel                                 Airman Leadership School

260th Air Traffic Control Squadron
SMSgt Pranav Zaveri                              Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
MSgt Robert Stewart                              Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Eric Stephens                                 Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Devon Carroll                                 Airman Leadership School
SSgt John Fiorentino                              Airman Leadership School

157th Civil Engineering Squadron
MSgt Christopher Lemay                       Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
MSgt Daniel Peterson                             Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Steven Ray Chasse                       Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Joshua Buco                                   Airman Leadership School
SSgt Sean Webber                                  Airman Leadership School
SSgt Kevin Banks                                    Airman Leadership School
SrA Joseph Cooper                                 Airman Leadership School
SSgt Derek Damour                                Airman Leadership School
SrA Bryant Shipman                                Airman Leadership School
SrA Joshua White                                    Airman Leadership School
SrA Nicholas McPhee                             Airman Leadership School

157th Mission Support Group
SSgt Traci Renzella                                Airman Leadership School

157th Comptroller Flight
TSgt Ronald Letch                                   Airman Leadership School
SSgt Jason Robichaud                           Airman Leadership School

157th Medical Group
SSgt Elizabeth Gray                                 Airman Leadership School
SSgt Brandon McClellan                        Airman Leadership School
SrA John McDowell                                 Airman Leadership School

157th Maintenance Squadron
TSgt Lena Grenier                                   Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Michael Morris                                 Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Darien James Flemming              Airman Leadership School
SrA Rachel Marsan                                  Airman Leadership School
SrA Jason Therrien                                  Airman Leadership School
SrA Max Tibbetts                                       Airman Leadership School
SrA Luke Underwood                              Airman Leadership School

157th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
TSgt Levi Cater                                           Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Pedro Santiago                                 Airman Leadership School
SSgt Ronald Williams                               Airman Leadership School

157th Operations Support Squadron
TSgt Adam Hanson                                   Noncommissioned Officer Academy
TSgt Bonnie Demers                                 Noncommissioned Officer Academy
SSgt Alexander Waiter                               Airman Leadership School

NH Joint Force Headquarters
CMSgt David Obertanec                            Joint SNCO Academy
SSgt John Raymond                                  Airman Leadership School


157th Force Support Squadron
TSgt Nicole Elliot                                         Noncommissioned Officer Academy


Community College of the Air Force Class of 2014

157th Civil Engineer Squadron
MSgt Robert Wolfgram                               Construction Technology
                                                        (Maintenance Production Management)
TSgt Joseph Naches                                  Construction Technology
TSgt Michael Kraus                                     Fire Science
SSgt Benjamin Bauman                            Information Systems Technology
SSgt Frederick Horne                                 Construction Technology
SrA Joshua White                                        Fire Science

157th Communications Flight
MSgt Jennifer Jones                                    Human Resource Management
                                                                             (Information Management)
TSgt Gabriel Howard                                   Electronic Systems Technology
                                                                      (Information Systems Technology)

157th Comptroller Flight
MSgt (ret) Clermont Boutin                         Financial Management

157th Logistics Readiness Squadron
SMSgt Jeremy Mercier                                 Transportation
MSgt Samantha Peplinski                          Aviation Operations (Transportation)
TSgt Mike Toth                                               Transportation (Logistics)

157th Maintenance Group
SMSgt Matthew Heiman                              Aviation Maintenance Technology
MSgt Brian Barber                                        Metals Technology
MSgt Scott Dodge                                        Aviation Maintenance Technology
TSGT Kenneth Fraser                                 Aviation Maintenance Technology
MSgt Jason Hill                                            Electronic Systems Technology
SMSgt Shane Hutchings                            Maintenance Production Management
MSgt Frank Perry                                          Aviation Maintenance Technology
                                                                  (Maintenance Production Management)
TSgt Keith Russo                                         Education and Training Management
SSgt Matthew Nogueira                              Munitions Systems Technology
SrA Luke Underwood                                  Avionic Systems Technology

64th Air Refueling Squadron
SSgt Christopher Boyer                               Aircraft maintenance Technology
SSgt Antoine Nguyen                                   Aviation Operations
                                                             (Medical Laboratory Technician)
SSgt Patrick Viau                                           Intelligence Analysis

157th Medical Group
SMSgt Sandra Hebert                                   Practical Nursing Technology

157th Mission Support Group
MSgt Stephen Shea                                      Contracts Management
SSgt Traci Renzella                                      Contracts Management

157th Air Refueling Wing
2Lt Bryant Burns                                            Aviation Maintenance Technology
SSgt Curtis White                                          Criminal Justice
 
133rd Air Refueling Squadron
2Lt Christopher Schimmel                           Air Traffic Operations and Management

157th Force Support Squadron
TSgt Christopher Moisan                              Human Resource Management

157th Operations Support Flight
SMSgt Michael George                                  Aviation Operations
SMSgt Brian Elliot                                           Aircrew Safety systems Technology
TSgt Shane Hurd                                            Aircrew Safety systems Technology

157th Security Forces
MSgt Dale Snowdon                                      Criminal Justice
TSgt Daniel Jancsy                                        Criminal Justice
TSgt Thomas Michaud                                  Criminal Justice
SSgt Paul Dovich                                            Criminal Justice
SSgt Kristopher Mauchly                               Criminal Justice
TSgt Thomas Moore                                      Criminal Justice
SSgt Nathaniel Sharman                              Criminal Justice

260th Air Traffic Control Squadron
CMSgt Gregg Fournier                                  Electronic Systems Technology
CMSgt Alfred Orsini                                        Air Traffic Operations and Management
SMSgt Michael Plowman                              Electronic Systems Technology
SMSgt Darrell Whitney                                   Electronic Systems Technology
TSgt Marc Coleman                                       Electronic Systems Technology
SSgt Brittany Bigelow                                    Logistics
SSgt Eric Moulton                                           Electronic Systems Technology