Gunfighters win ACC Safety Awards

  • Published
  • By Major Damien Pickart
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Two Gunfighters were among those recently announced as 2007 Air Combat Command's Safety Award winners.

Capt Julius Romasanta and Staff Sgt. Matthew Perraut, 366th Fighter Wing Safety office, were selected as the ACC Flight Safety Officer of the Year and the Ground Safety Special Achievement Award, respectively.

The flight safety award recognizes an individual for significant contributions to a unit, headquarters, ACC or Air Force-level flight safety program. The ground safety achievement award recognizes a newcomer to the ground safety career field who has demonstrated exceptional performance.

"I'm extremely excited to have been selected for this award," said Captain Romasanta, 366th Fighter Wing Flight Safety Officer. "I believe my recent deployment to Djibouti played a big role. I was sent specifically to create an Air Force safety program and it ended up being a joint endeavor that now serves as the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa's safety program."

While deployed to Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Captain Romasanta served as the first 449th Air Expeditionary Group's Flight Safety Officer and built a deployed safety program from the ground up. Recognizing the lack of a joint program, he worked tirelessly with the Army, Navy and Marine Corps units there to develop a cohesive program. By the time he left, Captain Romasanta was unofficially recognized by all as the CJTF-HOA flight safety officer.

In addition to his accomplishments during his CJTF-HOA deployment, Captain Romasanta led the Mountain Home AFB Bird and Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard program, which strives to mitigate bird and wildlife damage to aircraft. He was also recognized for correcting an unsafe aircraft parking plan, coordinating 30 mishap investigations and helping the wing get safely through multiple operational readiness exercises with zero flight mishaps.

Just two years after cross training from Aerospace Ground Equipment maintenance into the ground safety business, Sergeant Perraut credits his receiving the award to good training and good supervisors.

"I owe this accomplishment to the phenomenal training I received when I came to Mountain Home AFB," said Sergeant Perraut, 366th Fighter Wing Ground Safety Technician. "Along with the great training to get me spun up, my supervisors have empowered me to get out and do my job and I certainly am thankful for their taking the time to put me in for this award. It really means a lot." 

Sergeant Perraut played a key role in the recent near collapse of building 2610, taking proactive measures to help prevent injuries. He took the lead in the wing commander-directed DUI campaign to reduce a dangerous trend at the wing, providing convincing briefings to Airmen and designing and posting DUI awareness billboards and signs at the front gate. Sergeant Perraut's initiative contributed directly to zero Class A mishaps during the 2007 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign, initiated the "12 Weeks of Winter" safety campaign targeting high-risk activities and completed his five-level upgrade training in record time with a 98-percent average.

"I'm extremely proud to have Captain Romasanta and Sergeant Perraut on the Gunfighter safety team," said Lt. Col. William Tracy, 366th Fighter Wing Chief of Safety. "Their drive, initiative and dedication have been instrumental in the success of our wing's safety efforts. These two certainly deserved this recognition."