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USAF PACAF Bandsman TSgt Paula Goetz wins John L. Levitow Award at NCO Academy.

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  • USAF Band of the Pacific-Asia
30 Apr 2010 --  An Air Force bandsman from Yokota Air Base, Japan was recently awarded the highest honor in graduating at the top of her class of 83 students at the Erwin PME Center located at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

Technical Sergeant Paula M. Goetz, who is a vocalist with the Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia, was the recipient of the John L. Levitow award for class 10-2. Considered the pinnacle of achievement for Enlisted Professional Military Education in the USAF, it is the highest award presented at Non-Commissioned Officer Academies, and is awarded to the student demonstrating outstanding leadership and scholastic qualities. Award selection is based on overall performance evaluation, academic ranking, and peer and staff ratings.

Winning this prestigious award is a definite career highlight for any Airman, but the cheers from her classmates on graduation night made it especially meaningful. Air Commandos flight, which was led by TSgt Goetz as assigned flight leader, also garnered two Distinguished Graduates and the Commandant's Award winner. Its proud instructor, TSgt Claudia Alvarez, also commented on how dedicated the flight was even from the first few days of class. "I never had to offer any encouragement" to TSgt Goetz to accomplish flight tasks within the schedule. She and the flight were operating at a high level from week one." This is high praise considering one of the major goals of the PME Center is to prepare its graduates to mold troops into cohesive teams. TSgt Goetz agreed there would have been no award if not for the collective efforts of her flight mates.

"The one thing you truly discover is that no one is a success without the support of a good team. In learning to be both follower and leader, it ends up being your team members working together and cultivating the group's esprit de corps that get fantastic results that everyone feels good about. Each person contributed their time, talent or experience to make the flight successful...that was the lesson to emulate and ultimately the real reward."

"TSgt Goetz is the consummate 360 degree leader", said the band's commander Capt Willen. "She makes a positive impact up, down and collaterally throughout the chain. The very fact she was selected for such an honor only confirms what those of us who work with her already know, she is a true professional, one whom we are fortunate to have on our team."

The award TSgt Goetz received is named for John Lee Levitow, who was cited for conspicuous gallantry in action in 1969 for saving the lives of his eight crew members after being critically injured as a loadmaster on a mortar-attacked, AC-47 gunship while flying a night combat mission over South Vietnam. Sgt Levitow's gallantry and profound concern for his crew are legendary within the U.S. Air Force and continue to set the example for today's Airmen and Non-Commissioned Officers.