Asheville airman wins meritorious service award

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Congratulations! Members of the 14th Weather Squadron are based at the NOAA/National Climatic Data Center in the Federal Building in Asheville.

Press release:

Air Force officials here selected a master sergeant and a civilian as the winners of the 2009 Society of American Indian Government Employees Meritorious Service Award. 

Master Sgt. Angela Tristan, assigned to the 14th Weather Squadron in Asheville, N.C., and Rhonda Battles, assigned to the 343rd Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, received the award in San Diego in June. 

Sergeant Tristan led the groundbreaking ceremony of a Fallen Airmen’s Memorial, served as the senior enlisted member of the only honor guard in western North Carolina, and led a team of seven in Washington, D.C., in preparing the Vietnam War Memorial for Fourth of July celebrations. Sergeant Tristan devoted hundreds of hours to public service for her community, coaching three youth sports, mentoring 30 foster children, and promoting math and science programs in a rural farm community school. 

Ms. Battles was responsible for training more than 10,000 Airmen to secure Air Force installations worldwide and perform combat operations in support of overseas contingency operations.