Kentucky Airman named top biomedical maintenance NCO in Air National Guard

  • Published
  • By Capt. John T. Stamm
  • 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. --  Staff Sgt. Sean P. Walker, an equipment maintenance technician in the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Medical Group, has been named the Air National Guard Outstanding Biomedical Equipment Repair Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.

Sergeant Walker earned the honor by providing expert maintenance on $250,000 worth of Air Force medical assets, helping ensure 100 percent mission readiness, according to Col. William Christmas of the 123rd Medical Group. Walker also passed a recent Air Force Medical Equipment Repair Center Quality Assurance Inspection with zero faults and boosted the unit's dental x-ray equipment repair efficiency by 40 percent.

But his most impressive achievements may have been his performances during the 123rd Airlift Wing's 2010 Operational Readiness Exercise and subsequent Operational Readiness Inspection, Colonel Christmas said.

Wing leadership singled him out as an exceptional performer during the ORE for playing critical roles as the biomedical equipment technician and facility manager, while Air Mobility Command inspectors recognized him as a star performer in the ORI for superb leadership skills that contributed to the Medical Control Center's Outstanding Team Award.

"During the ORE, Sean was a stellar performer," Colonel Christmas said. "He took on a lot of organizational responsibilities way beyond his rank and did exceedingly well. During the ORI, he and my first shirt expertly organized the workflow in our area, making it all very easy to manage. This award does not surprise me at all. I'm very proud of Sean and expect to see great things from him in the future."

Active in the community, Sergeant Walker provides a positive role model for local children by serving as a Scout master for Boy Scout Troop 461. He is actively pursuing an undergraduate degree in business administration and participates in the medical group's "Supervisor's Academy," a unit-developed leadership program.

In September 2010, Sergeant Walker provided a month of crucial medical support to U.S. Africa Command special operations forces, administering more than 1,300 influenza vaccinations in just three days.