Liberty Wing maintainer receives General Lew Allen Trophy

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Richard A Williams Jr.
  • Air Force Public Affairs Agency
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Capt. William Bernecker of the 48th Fighter Wing was recognized by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Oct. 28 for his outstanding contributions to the Air Force mission.

Bernecker, assigned to the 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was awarded the 2011 General Lew Allen Jr. Trophy.

The trophy is awarded annually to a base-level officer and senior NCO in the aircraft, munitions or missile maintenance career fields directly involved in sortie generation.

"You all represent a very special community known with affection as 'maintainers,'" Schwartz said. "Without your dedicated efforts, our machines would never get off the ground."

Bernecker was cited as leading his team through a "historic time" as an aircraft maintenance officer with the 494th Aircraft Maintenance Unit.

His unit was one of four generating aircraft that helped his wing receive an "Outstanding" rating during the wing's operational readiness inspection -- U.S. Air Forces in Europe's first top rating in 24 years and the only such rating in the Air Force in 2010, officials said.

"Captain Bernecker is an exceptionally talented officer, leader, and maintainer who truly inspired his team to accomplish incredible feats this year," said Lt. Col. Todd Andre, 48th AMXS commander.

"What I'm most proud of is that he'd be the first to tell you that his winning the Lew Allen award was a team effort made possible by outstanding Airmen and NCOs in his [aircraft maintenance unit]," Andre added.

Bernecker also led more than 290 Airmen supporting 28 aircraft in support of the first F-15E Strike Eagle air strikes on Libya. The unit then forward deployed, flying 139 combat missions and destroying 477 military targets in 13 days.

"I firmly believe I am in the best maintenance unit in the Air Force," Bernecker said. "The missions have been extremely challenging, but the unit stepped up to the plate and did really well with everything they faced. I just happened to be a part of it."

(Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney of the 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office contributed to this story.)