Study time pays off for new CCAF graduates

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
More than 180 Airmen at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., achieved an education milestone completing their Community College of the Air Force Degree during 2009.

These students will commemorate their achievement Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. during a graduation ceremony hosted by Base Training and Education Services in the community center.

The CCAF graduates two classes a year, one in April and the other in October. Due to high operations tempo there is a joint graduation held in the fall.

The number of students who earn their CCAF degree here increases by about five to six people each year. This is a trend Hoyt Barrett, Base Training and Education Services CCAF counselor, hopes to see continue.

"Considering the tempo we have with deployments that is pretty good," he said.

As a CCAF counselor Mr. Barrett spends his day talking to Airmen about their academic aspirations.

"Education is knowledge and knowledge is power," he said. "The more you have the more power you have. I wish when I was in (the Air Force) someone would have taken the time to talk to us about education. I did not get my CCAF until I was a master sergeant."

Mr. Barrett encourages Airmen who only want to serve for four years to not write off this opportunity.

If an Airman is going to leave the Air Force and they join the job market with a CCAF degree it demonstrates initiative to future employers, he said. "This shows a class of personality employers like, it shows you are self-driven."

The degree is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges.

This degree is a stepping stone, toward earning a bachelor's degree, then a master's degree, Mr. Barrett said. "The (Air Force) is not your final destination in life; you want to prepare for what happens next."

For more information about the CCAF, call 722-5800 or visit http://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/

Congratulations to the Seymour Johnson 2009 CCAF graduates:

Aerospace Ground Equipment Technology

Tech. Sgt. Travis Dunson
Staff Sgt. William Dunston
Staff Sgt. Michael Holt
Master Sgt. Raymond Mullins
Master Sgt. Marcus Potter
Tech. Sgt. Michael Shea

Aerospace Physiology Instructor
Staff Sgt. Terrace Gill

Aircraft Armament Systems Technology
Tech. Sgt. Jason Barnshaw
Staff Sgt. Devon Binkowski
Staff Sgt. Shaun Bonds
Staff Sgt. Shannon Boyd
Airman 1st Class Tyler Gilstrap
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Goldston
Tech. Sgt. Cassie Johnson
Staff Sgt. Anthony Maldonado
Senior Airman Aaron Miranda
Master Sgt. Jason Sampson

Aircraft Armament Systems Technology/Fire Science
Staff Sgt. Cale Hollingsworth

Aircrew Safety Systems Technology
Staff Sgt. Arvin Baldorado
Staff Sgt. Christopher Hoover

Airway Science
Staff Sgt. Nathanael Crawford
Senior Airman Kurt Lind

Allied Health Sciences
Senior Airman Cynthia Bindert
Staff Sgt. Andrea Nazario
Staff Sgt. Stacy Neagles
Staff Sgt. Leasa Novotny
Senior Airman Shana Porter
Tech. Sgt. Amy Santos

Allied Health Sciences/Electronic Systems Management
Staff Sgt. Staci Ross

Allied Health Sciences/Information Systems Technology
Tech. Sgt. Kristie Saltzmann

Aviation Maintenance Technology

Senior Airman Joseph Basuil
Master Sgt. John Beal
Master Sgt. Craig Beaucage
Master Sgt. Kevin Byrne
Staff Sgt. John Coyle
Staff Sgt. Patrick Cozine
Tech. Sgt. James Daniel
Senior Airman Mark Dickinson
Master Sgt. Paul Dunham
Tech. Sgt. Glenn Ferguson
Tech. Sgt. Gregory Ferrell
Senior Airman Kevin Galdamez
Senior Airman Andrew Gloeckner
Staff Sgt. Quinton Greene
Staff Sgt. Richard Growney
Tech. Sgt. John Hamrick
Master Sgt. Robert Heinrich
Senior Airman Gregory Hibshman
Senior Airman Gregory Hibshman
Staff Sgt. Christopher Hines
Staff Sgt. Chad Holland
Master Sgt. Timothy Keller
Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lolley
Staff Sgt. TJ McLelland
Staff Sgt. Anthony Mendoza
Senior Airman Jonathan Meyers
Tech. Sgt. Todd Miller
Tech. Sgt. Leondas Moore
Master Sgt. Gregory Pearson
Master Sgt. Brian Petticoffer
Senior Airman Ryan Rhea
Master Sgt. Charles Ross
Master Sgt. Wayne Rozzi
Master Sgt. Scott Schmeltzer
Senior Airman Jonathon Shanley
Staff Sgt. Jessica Sliwoski
Staff Sgt. Jimmy Smith
Master Sgt. Timothy Smith
Master Sgt. Michael Spratt
Staff Sgt. Carlton Stokes
Master Sgt. Felix Thomas
Staff Sgt. Micheal Walton
Master Sgt. Derryl Wilson
Tech. Sgt. Micky Wilson
Master Sgt. Jeffery Worley
Staff Sgt. Craig Wyman

Aviation Maintenance Technology/Education and Training Management
Tech. Sgt. Daniel Benaszeski

Aviation Maintenance Technology/Human Resource Management
Master Sgt. Gregory Raidl

Aviation Management
Senior Airman Mark Hoover
Senior Airman Chad Spurlock

Avionic Systems Technology
Staff Sgt. Michael Allard
Senior Airman Stephen Bigler
Staff Sgt. Kristopher Caulfield
Staff Sgt. Erik Chenault
Senior Airman Matthew Cline
Tech. Sgt. Kendell Cummins
Tech. Sgt. William Foster
Senior Airman David Gregg
Senior Airman Zachary Milne
A1c Damian Quintanilla
Staff Sgt. Jimmy Tropel
Staff Sgt. Adam Wilcox

Bioenvironmental Engineering Technology
Staff Sgt. Sarah Standifer

Communications Applications Technology/ Education and Training Management
Staff Sgt. Stephanie Herring

Contracts Management
Senior Airman Michael Brandt
Senior Airman Jennifer Lawson

Construction Technology
Master Sgt. Robbie Padgett

Construction Technology/Information Systems Technology
Master Sgt. Jay Sowder

Criminal Justice
Tech. Sgt. Christopher Beavers
Staff Sgt. Jaquetta Bice
Staff Sgt. Bradford Camp
Master Sgt. Joe Cason
Staff Sgt. Rico Lane
Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Lash
Staff Sgt. Jennifer Nelson
Tech. Sgt. Richard Orwig
Airman 1st Class Daniel Rose

Dental Assisting
Staff Sgt. Anita Coe

Dental Laboratory Technology
Staff Sgt. Andrew Garrett

Dietetics and Nutrition
Staff Sgt. Celeste Spears

Education And Training Management
Master Sgt. Kameron Baskerville
Staff Sgt. David Flory
Tech. Sgt. Shari Stewart

Electronic Systems Technology
Senior Airman Heather Potts
Senior Airman Edmund Smith

Emergency Management
Senior Airman Timothy Bennett

Environmental Systems Technology
Master Sgt. Gregory Wilson

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Staff Sgt. Matthew Cooper
Senior Airman Matthew McCartney

Fire Science
Staff Sgt. Jason Jessee

Financial Management
Master Sgt. Tonya Westerman

Financial Management/Weather Technology
Staff Sgt. Shara Evans

Health Care Management
Master Sgt. Maria Rech
Staff Sgt. Sherri Rowell

Human Resources Management
Tech. Sgt. William Hudson
Master Sgt. Shannon Payne
Master Sgt. Craig Porter
Staff Sgt. Kristine Rocha
Master Sgt. Caroline Watson

Information Management
Staff Sgt. Danielle Greene
Staff Sgt. Taifa Petaway
Airman 1st Class Nicole Reynolds
Staff Sgt. Chucky Smothers
Staff Sgt. Tamika Walthall

Information Systems Technology
Staff Sgt. Maritza Garza
Master Sgt. George Parrish
Staff Sgt. David Walker

Instructor of Technology and Military Science
Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Price
Staff Sgt. Tiffany Troupe

Logistics
Senior Airman Brett Armstrong
Master Sgt. Robert Atkinson
Staff Sgt. Matthew Copley
Staff Sgt. Magika Downing
Senior Airman Dennis Garcia
Senior Airman Tranay Graffell
Staff Sgt. Paige Krueger
Senior Airman Jessica Robbins
Senior Airman Ross Ruberg
Senior Airman Laura Schilling
Staff Sgt. Victor Snyder
Master Sgt. Douglas Suddueth
Staff Sgt. Jimmy Turner

Maintenance Production Management
Staff Sgt. Kareem Edwards
Senior Airman Kawsar Khan

Mechanical and Electrical Technology

Staff Sgt. Prince Allah
Staff Sgt. David Ayvazyan
Staff Sgt. Anthony Fletcher

Medical Laboratory Technology
Senior Airman Adrienne Antonios

Mental Health
Staff Sgt. Melissa Melton

Metals Technology
Senior Airman Ryan McCune
Tech. Sgt. Robert Poll

Munitions Systems Technology
Staff Sgt. Jareon Bailey
Senior Airman Christopher Farley
Master Sgt. Nathan Gatlin
Staff Sgt. Trevor Gillings
Tech. Sgt. Chad Hardy
Master Sgt. Cydric Harris
Master Sgt. Donald Huff
Senior Airman Natalie Huntington
Tech. Sgt. Erik Marketto
Staff Sgt. Kevin Morse
Tech. Sgt. Scott Plocar

Non-Destructive Testing Technology
Staff Sgt. Lashalene Pittman

Paralegal
Staff Sgt. Natasha Crumpton
Staff Sgt. Vanessa Pichon

Physical Therapist Assistant
Staff Sgt. Michelle Plastow

Safety
Tech. Sgt. Tanja Orwig

Social Services
Tech. Sgt. Wayne Foster
Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Mack
Master Sgt. Carlos Miramontes

Transportation
Senior Airman Andrew Howat
Master Sgt. Thomas Johnson
Tech. Sgt. William Lee
Tech. Sgt. Ronnie Mayo
Staff Sgt. Justin Smilo

Vehicle Maintenance
Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Wright