JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
The Diamond Sharp Award is sponsored by the Joint Base San Antonio First Sergeants Council and recognizes outstanding Airmen.
Rank/Name: Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Jordan
Unit: 319th Training Squadron
Duty Title: Expeditionary Skills Instructor
Time in Service: 12 years
Hometown: Modesto, California
Within 60 days of arrival, Tech. Sgt Jeffrey Jordan unified four geographically separated sections of the 319th Training Squadron. Getting after the training wing Commander’s Strategic Framework, he hosted the first-ever morale event with external mission partners; strengthening relationships and recognizing joint efforts with the 37th Training Combat Arms team. He was elected president of the squadron private organization where he streamlined fundraising tactics and raised $1,900 – a 40 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. Finally, Jordan restored in-person quarterly recognition and revitalized the Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training graduation ceremony for eight training squadrons.
Rank/Name: Staff Sgt. Shawn L. Konetzki
Unit: 836th Cyberspace Operations Squadron
Duty Title: Cyber Warfare Operator
Time in Service: 7 ½ years
Hometown: Sheridan, Wyoming
Staff Sgt. Shawn L. Konetzki went above and beyond to support his unit and wingmen. He managed 102 individual mobilization records, prepared documents and created taskers within the Aeromedical Service Information Management System, ensuring 782 required items were completed for 34 deploying members to two allied nations. He directly coordinated with Sixteenth Air Force to establish unit line numbers for a time-phased force deployment to defend NATO allies against emerging cyber threats. Konetzki quickly and accurately reported 25 COVID-19 positive and close contact reports, ensuring communication of unit status to Cyber National Mission Force and 67th Cyberspace Wing.
Rank/Name: Staff Sgt. Brandon Nevarez
Unit: 502nd Operations Support Squadron
Duty Title: Airfield Management Shift Lead
Time in Service: 3 years, 11 months
Hometown: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Staff Sgt. Brandon Nevarez led airfield operations support of the United Service Organization’s prescreening of the movie “Dog” at Hangar 1610 at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Field. He helped create the concept of operations for seating, sound system and screen placement, handwash stations, and the F-16 static display. He also led volunteers in the set-up and take-down of equipment and coordinated the security detail with the Security Forces Squadron for the star of the movie, Channing Tatum. Nevarez also supported the recent visit to San Antonio by First Lady Jill Biden by coordinating flight planning, fuel and passenger stairs services.
Name/Rank: Senior Airman Kylee Talbot
Unit: 802nd Security Forces Squadron
Duty Title: Installation Patrolman
Time in Service: 3 ½ years
Hometown: Hurricane, Utah
Senior Airman Kylee Talbot dedicated her off-duty time educating and recruiting 14 local San Antonio high school students about Air Force and Security Forces culture and operations. She demonstrated professionalism within the community by hosting a question-and-answer seminar, sharing her personal boot camp, deployment and patrolman experiences. She showcased duty gear and demonstrated a high-risk traffic stop to intensify the briefing for the students. Additionally, Talbot was coined by the Air Force Security Forces Center commander for her leadership role in developing an Air Force video showcasing new duty gear specifically tailored to female Defenders.
Name/Rank: Airman 1st Class Victoria S. Peck
Unit: 502nd Communications Squadron
Duty Title: Cyber Operations Technician
Time in Service: 1 year
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
Airman 1st Class Victoria S. Peck was elected to dorm council president and hit the ground running, exceeding her No. 1 goal: making sure things are left better than she found them. She listens to Airmen’s concerns and works with dorm management to resolve issues, playing a vital role in the relocation of two new Airmen assigned to substandard rooms. Peck coordinated with the JBSA Fire Department to organize a fireside S’mores event attended by 40 Airmen. To raise morale for Airmen living away from home, she hosts a weekly game night where residents can relax and connect with each other.
Name/Rank: Airman 1st Class Nickolaus Purtell
Unit: 616th Air Communications Squadron
Duty Title: Communications Focal Point Technician
Time in Service: 2 years
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Airman 1st Class Nickolaus Purtell supports 596 Total Force Airman across three locations. He selflessly volunteered to fill a manning shortage for a six-person shop. From the get-go, he picked up tasks and processes with little to no oversight, eliminating a mission standstill. He has since trained four additional team members. Under his leadership, his team was able to process 203 backlogged user account requests, 302 tickets and four change requests. Finally, he collaborated with four back shops to streamline two vulnerability tracking processes, ultimately saving the squadron 50 man-hours in one month.