Oakville Native Earns Air Force Honor

Oakville native Tyndall Staff Sgt. Michael Sazama, 372nd Training Squadron, Det. 4, F-22 Raptor crew chief instructor, earned the Detachment NCO of the Year award during the 2012 Maintenance and Staff Professionals of the Year banquet in Hangar 1 on March 15, according to a news release from 325th Fighter Wing.

Sazama said it felt good to receive the award. The award recognizes outstanding Airmen who train maintainers.

“Winning the award definitely felt good,” he said in the release. “After five years of hard work I feel like I have finally been recognized for the long hours and effort I put into my job every day.”

Sergeant Sazama has been in the Air Force for five and a half years and has worked in the maintenance career field as a crew chief throughout his enlistment. His favorite part about his job is teaching.

“My favorite part about being an instructor is getting to pass the knowledge I have learned about the F-22 on to new students,” Sergeant Sazama said in the release. “Most of them are very eager to learn everything they can. It is very rewarding watching how they react when they see the F-22 for the first time, remove and replace certain parts, then eventually launch their first jet and watch it take off.”

The MPOY banquet recognizes the achievements of the maintenance group and honors maintenance professionals each year.

“Sergeant Sazama is my go-to guy,” Tech. Sgt. Randy Helton, 372nd TRS, Det. 4 lead production scheduler and Sergeant Sazama’s supervisor, said in the release. “He bleeds esprit de corps.”