5 BW Airman earns top NCO honors

Published April 1, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Sahara L. Fales
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- An Airman from the 5th Bomb Wing Command Post was named the wing's NCO of the Year, Feb. 24, 2014.

In addition to being recognized at the wing-level, Tech. Sgt. Katrina K. Strother, NCO in charge of command post training, also received the Air Force Global Strike Command's Command Post Unit Level NCO of the year award, March 10, 2014.

To earn the annual award, she had to compete against the top NCOs from each of the groups on base. Likewise, she had equally tough competition for the AFGSC award, where she surpassed peers at each command post throughout the command.

"It feels really good to be considered one of the best in this wing," Strother said. "There are a lot of hard working people here, so it really is an honor to be amongst the best of what this wing has to offer."

A key factor in Strother achieving these awards was her understanding that in order to be a good teacher you need to be a good student, she said. Following the guidance of her leaders and mentors led not only to her receiving these awards but it also pushed her to be the best she could be.

Strother worked hard on her primary responsibilities and excelled at her daily tasks but was excited to take on a major additional duty by becoming the NCOIC of command post training, she said.

"I covered all aspects of training for 22 Airmen, NCOs and senior NCOs," Strother said.

In addition to her regular duties, she did a lot of community work, school and off-duty classes that pertained to her job, she added. She wanted to work on projects that would allow her to better herself and become a stronger more experienced leader.

"Strother doesn't just excel in improving herself," said Master Sgt. Marlin Q. Stevenson, first sergeant of the 5th Operations Group, and Strother's former NCOIC. "She makes everyone around her better."

An important part of being an NCO is knowing how to lead and take care of your troops, Stevenson said.

"She is the best NCO I've worked with in my 20 years," he added. "She's not just a worker; she's a leader."

Moving forward Strother wants to continue to focus on the well-being of her troops and push herself to obtain new goals by continuing to grow as a leader.

"I just want to keep doing my best and give back to others that I work with and supervise as well," Strother said. "You should always work hard at the responsibilities that you've been given and do your best to contribute to your team and your unit's mission."