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492nd FS wins David C. Schilling Award

By Master Sgt. Eric Burks, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published July 05, 2017

U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Drew Lyons, 492nd Fighter Squadron, F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, and 1st Lieutenant J. Paul Reasner, 492nd FS, F-15E Strike Eagle weapon systems officer, make final observations of their aircraft prior to a sortie in support of exercise Red Flag 16-4 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada Aug 17. Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise and one of a series of advanced training programs that is administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew)
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U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Drew Lyons, 492nd Fighter Squadron, F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, and 1st Lieutenant J. Paul Reasner, 492nd FS, F-15E Strike Eagle weapon systems officer, make final observations of their aircraft prior to a sortie in support of exercise Red Flag 16-4 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada Aug 17. Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise and one of a series of advanced training programs that is administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Connor Borah, left, and U.S. Air Force Jeremy Moore, right, 492nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew team members, load ammunition onto an F-15E Strike Eagle at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Oct. 6. The ammunition was loaded as part of a quarterly load crew competition. The 48th Maintenance Group holds the competitions to give Airmen a chance to show off their technical prowess to peers and wing leadership.
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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Connor Borah, left, and U.S. Air Force Jeremy Moore, right, 492nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew team members, load ammunition onto an F-15E Strike Eagle at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Oct. 6. The ammunition was loaded as part of a quarterly load crew competition. The 48th Maintenance Group holds the competitions to give Airmen a chance to show off their technical prowess to peers and wing leadership.

U.S. Air Force Major Oliver Roe, 492nd Fighter Squadron pilot, gets ready for a sortie in preparation for exercise Red Flag 16-4 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug 12. Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise and one of a series of advanced training programs that is administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew
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U.S. Air Force Major Oliver Roe, 492nd Fighter Squadron pilot, gets ready for a sortie in preparation for exercise Red Flag 16-4 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug 12. Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise and one of a series of advanced training programs that is administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew

An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 492nd Fighter Squadron awaits clearance to taxi for a sortie in preparation for exercise Red Flag 16-4 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug 12. Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise and one of a series of advanced training programs that is administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew)
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An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 492nd Fighter Squadron awaits clearance to taxi for a sortie in preparation for exercise Red Flag 16-4 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug 12. Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise and one of a series of advanced training programs that is administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew)

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ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The 492nd Fighter Squadron recently was named the winner of the David C. Schilling Award.

The award, sponsored by the Air Force Association, recognizes "the most outstanding contribution in the field of flight," in the atmosphere or space, by an Air Force military member, Air Force civilian, unit or group of individuals.

Originating in 1948 as the Flight Trophy, the award was renamed in 1957 in honor of Schilling. The initial trophy went to Herbert H. Hoover, a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics test pilot, and other recipients include Capt. James Jabara, the world's first jet ace, in 1950, and Maj. Charles E. Yeager, in 1954.

"The 492nd Fighter Squadron's accomplishments recognized with this award were simply remarkable, spanning several combatant commands and diverse mission sets," said Lt. Col. Matthew Hund, 48th Maintenance Group deputy commander, who commanded the 492nd FS during the award period.

"This squadron has a professional hunger and focus that I have never seen before, and they are always ready to deliver combat air power," he said. "It was an honor to serve alongside this dedicated team of professionals and watch them execute the mission, and they are at it again."

The time period the award recognizes is Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2016. During that time, the squadron completed 3,696 sorties totaling more than 6,043 flying hours, and participated in several multi-nation exercises including Noble Arrow 16 in the United Kingdom, INIOHOIS 16 in Greece, with a no-notice contingency deployment to Turkey.

When Hund relinquished command of the 492nd FS to Lt. Col. Jeremy Renken Feb. 10, the new squadron commander knew he would be continuing a legacy of exceptional performance.

"I'm extremely proud and humbled to lead this squadron of such amazing Airmen," he said. "We were extremely busy in 2016, participating in exercises and real-world taskings across multiple theaters, and we have remained busy so far this year during our deployment in support of U.S. and coalition forces."