Retirement ceremony for my SIL - CMSgt 315th *Pics*

[simpleman68]

Was in Charleston for my SIL's retirement ceremony this past weekend.
She's been our family for 15+ years and is one of the most awesome people I know.
I've never met a more exceptional yet humble person in my travels.

She enlisted in 1984 and became a jet engine mechanic shortly after.
Scott

Major Awards:

Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal w/ 4 devices
AF Commendation Medal
AF Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
AF Outstanding Unit Award w/ 9 devices
AF Good Conduct Medal w/1 device
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Svc Award w/7 devices
National Defense Svc Medal w/1 device
Global War on Terrorism Svc Medal
Armed Forces Svc Medal
Humanitarian Svc Medal
AF Expeditionary Svc Ribbon w/ gold border and 1 device
AF Longevity Svc Ribbon w/6 devices
Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ 4 "M" devices
USAF NCO PME graduate ribbon
AF training ribbon
NATO Medal - ISAF

:patriot:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/simpleman68/Me%20Stuff/IMG_20150412_132458805_zpseebopshd.jpg

First part was an informal celebration in the hangar on Saturday afternoon.

Second part was a formal ceremony on Sunday at noon by the flag pole.

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SUNDAY

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Kegger in the rental!!

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[C5SilverBullet]

Awesome, my uncle was a CMSgt in the Air Force. Enjoy that bad ass bottle of JD!

[Stangkiller]

Very cool, looks like a great party that jack looks pretty cool!

[GentleBen]

Please thank her for her service for us! :patriot:

Now that she doesn't have to work, what is she going to do? She's too young to quit working and having made Chief too impatient to sit around and watch grass grow.

[boracayjohnny]

CommandChief. :seasix:

[Burro (He/Haw)]

That's outstanding. :cert:

[CertInsaneC5]

Please thank her for her service for us! :patriot:

Now that she doesn't have to work, what is she going to do? She's too young to quit working and having made Chief too impatient to sit around and watch grass grow.

:iagree: Congrats to her. :cert:

[Olustee bus]

Wow. Thank you Chief Master Sergeant Gigi Manning.

[island14]

First of all congrats to her.. :cert:


But now I have to ask..

How did you make this happen? :island14:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/simpleman68/Me%20Stuff/IMG_20150411_181332419_zpsc6rbai0s.jpg

[VITE1]

Now that's an American hero. :seasix::shots:

[OddBall]

:cool1: :seasix: :cert:

[Norm]

Impressive career, I salute her. :seasix::cert::USA:

[mrvette]

Kid did good......congrats, now to relax....

:seasix::hurray:

[Chuck A]

very impressive, indeed

[wwomanC6]

From one retired jet engine mech to another - Congrats and job well done CMSGT (ret)! :seasix:

[69camfrk]

Man, I sure wish I could've made it. Work of course made it impossible, but you know where I was. I know it was a good time! Once again, congrats to her. I emailed her from work, but not sure if she got it or not since it was pretty close to her final outprocessing..:seasix:

[simpleman68]

Now that she doesn't have to work, what is she going to do? She's too young to quit working and having made Chief too impatient to sit around and watch grass grow.

She is going back to Corp in a consulting position where she'll have a lot of time free in between jobs. They are .mil friendly and she has worked for them in the past for many years.
Scott

[simpleman68]

First of all congrats to her.. :cert:


But now I have to ask..

How did you make this happen? :island14:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/simpleman68/Me%20Stuff/IMG_20150411_181332419_zpsc6rbai0s.jpg

Wish I could take credit for this great gift idea. They had the bottle sent out to be custom etched on 3 of the 4 sides. :cool:
Scott

[simpleman68]

Man, I sure wish I could've made it. Work of course made it impossible, but you know where I was. I know it was a good time! Once again, congrats to her. I emailed her from work, but not sure if she got it or not since it was pretty close to her final outprocessing..:seasix:

She laughed and said she knew exactly why you couldn't be there. :seasix:

Like I said earlier, we'll catch up one of these days for a cold one or 6. :cert:
Scot

[Datawiz]

Most excellent!!! :hurray:

[simpleman68]

From one retired jet engine mech to another - Congrats and job well done CMSGT (ret)! :seasix:

She was also their 1st female CMSgt. :cool:
Scott

[8Up]

Damn that's a lot of stripes. I had two. Lol. Congratulations to her on her retirement.

[NEED-A-VETTE]

Very nice. :yesnod:

[LATB]

Killer resume. Congrats. :cert:

[SQUIRMIN VERMIN 84]

Well Done!! :hurray::USA:

God bless her!

[Sea Six]

What's the story behind the bronze star?

[Dan Dlabay]

A true American hero. May God bless her and thanks for her service.:patriot::patriot:

[Lakota]

What's the story behind the bronze star?

There are two levels of Bronze Stars

Bronze Star "Service" which most people get, they started this around 1980. A very common medal. Not impressive. I'm about 99% sure that what she was awarded.

and

Bronze Star "Valor" where you put yourself in harms way and it is impressive.

In the late 60's read in the local paper that one of my high school classmates in the Marines and in Vietnam was awarded his third Bronze Star "Valor" for braving enemy machine gun fire to drag a fellow Marine to safety.

[NavyC5]

Tell your SIL congrats from this lowly First Sergeant :seasix:

[simpleman68]

What's the story behind the bronze star?

Copy/paste from the local paper that published it in 2009.
Scott


"Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gigi B. Manning thought she was just doing her job when she traveled more than 800 miles through hostile areas in Afghanistan checking on operating bases, but her supervisors weren't so humble in their assessment of her performance.

Manning, 44, was awarded the Bronze Star in a ceremony Sunday at Charleston Air Force Base because she "distinguished herself as the Chief Enlisted Manager of Detachments 1 and 2 of the 755th Air Expeditionary Group supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan."

The U.S. military awards the Bronze Star to individuals for heroism, bravery or meritorious service. It's the nation's fourth-highest combat medal.

Manning, a Bennettsville native stationed at the Charleston Air Force Base, said she was "overwhelmed and tremendously honored" about receiving the medal. She has served in the Air Force for nearly 25 years and spent six months in Afghanistan in mid-2008.

Air Force public affairs officials said Manning, under constant threat of hostile fire and improvised explosive devices, "bravely worked as a truck commander, driver, spotter and shooter; traveling more than 800 miles to 10 forward operating bases supporting Airman as they performed their missions in an austere combat environment."

Manning said Monday that she traveled with a convoy to bases in all five military regions of Afghanistan. Her role, she said, was to be "eyes on" — that is, to make sure everyone was doing well and to see if the bases needed additional support. If they did, it was her job to report their needs to headquarters. She also acted as liaison between the Air Force and the Army, she said.

The work was dangerous, Manning said. She remembered an incident where people in her convoy spotted suspected insurgents building a culvert, a spot where they likely would place an explosive device. Her team checked on the spot on its way back from its mission and learned that a device had been placed in the culvert. The team then blew it up, she said.

Manning said she didn't stop to feel good about finding and exploding the device, she just thought to herself, "Where's the next one?"

"You know any given day something could happen," she said, "but you don't let that be your focus. You just do your job to the best of your ability."

Lt. Col. Rob McDaris, commander of the 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and Manning's commander at the Charleston Air Force Base, called Manning "a very dynamic individual."

[Bill]

What's the story behind the bronze star?

That's exactly what I was thinking. Glad I read through the comments first.

[LATB]

There are two levels of Bronze Stars

Bronze Star "Service" which most people get, they started this around 1980. A very common medal. Not impressive. I'm about 99% sure that what she was awarded.

and

Bronze Star "Valor" where you put yourself in harms way and it is impressive.

In the late 60's read in the local paper that one of my high school classmates in the Marines and in Vietnam was awarded his third Bronze Star "Valor" for braving enemy machine gun fire to drag a fellow Marine to safety.

appears you are 100% incorrect.

[Truck Guy]

Well Done!! :hurray::USA:

God bless her!
:iagree: :clap:

[Blademaker]

:hurray: :seasix:


Congratulations, and many thanks for her service.

[Lakota]

appears you are 100% incorrect.
I'm 100% correct.
According to her service medal display case, her service ribbon for the Bronze Star Medal indicates it is for the lesser "Service Medal" not the higher"Valor Medal". Her service ribbon for the Bronze Star lacks the "V" for Valor.

"Air Force – the "V" is worn on the Bronze Star Medal to denote heroism in combat" link: "V" Device - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22V%22_Device)

She got the "Service Medal" for meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. She drove a convoy thru a bad neighborhood. link: Bronze Star Medal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The people in the Air Force don't have the opportunity to get the Valor device as the grunts in the Army and Marine Corp. e.g. An Infantryman who braves enemy machine fire to rescue a wounded grunt and pulls him to safety.

[LATB]

I'm 100% correct.
According to her service medal display case, her service ribbon for the Bronze Star Medal indicates it is for the lesser "Service Medal" not the higher"Valor Medal". Her service ribbon for the Bronze Star lacks the "V" for Valor.

"Air Force – the "V" is worn on the Bronze Star Medal to denote heroism in combat" link: "V" Device - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22V%22_Device)

She got the "Service Medal" for meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. She drove a convoy thru a bad neighborhood. link: Bronze Star Medal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Star_Medal)

The people in the Air Force don't have the opportunity to get the Valor device as the grunts in the Army and Marine Corp. e.g. An Infantryman who braves enemy machine fire to rescue a wounded grunt and pulls him to safety.

Thanks for the clarification :seasix:

Although I don't feel the "not impressive" part of your other post was necessary. :island14:

[Allan]

CMSGT is a BFD :yesnod:

:patriot:

[Jeff '79]

Good for her :hurray:

Thats a lot of etching on that bottle of Jack :cool1:

What are her plans for the future?

[Dave]

Outstanding! Congrats to her on her career and best wishes for the future.

Nice bottle of Jack!

[NavyC5]

CMSGT is a BFD :yesnod:

:patriot:

Command Chief to boot...denoted by the star in the middle of chevrons