TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida –
Five Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center members recently won 2024 Air Force Civil Engineer Awards for their outstanding performance this past year.
Four of the winners belong to the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, a primary subordinate unit of AFIMSC. The fifth is a member of AFIMSC Detachment 4.
Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Riemer, senior enlisted leader in the AFCEC Readiness Directorate Explosive Ordnance Disposal Division, and Brent Harshbarger, lead EOD logistics program manager, received awards for Outstanding EOD MasterBlaster of the Year in the enlisted category and civilian category, respectively.
Riemer received recognition for his leadership and dedication to modernizing the EOD division. He served as the first senior enlisted leader for the United Nations General Assembly Task Force, overseeing 363 EOD and security teams tasked with protecting the president and other dignitaries. He also spearheaded the overhaul of the division by establishing a new mission statement and a field-feedback platform, while also contributing to training plans and program studies that leverage his extensive joint EOD warfighter experience.
“It’s a privilege to make critical decisions that positively impact the lives of the world’s finest EOD technicians, and I get an immense sense of purpose when I see my efforts realized,” Riemer said. “Although it feels incredible to receive this recognition, the EOD division and I still have plenty of work to accomplish as we continue transforming our community for multi-domain operations.”
Harshbarger was recognized for his management of the $1 billion EOD portfolio, ensuring the operational readiness of 84 global units and 1,700 Airmen. His efforts were instrumental in equipping the force with vital resources, including $4.3 billion in cutting-edge airfield recovery technology that enhances personnel safety during hazardous operations.
“Having such a diverse portfolio to manage, there are a lot of touch points, decision timelines and expectations, and it is truly a team effort,” Harshbarger said. “It’s an honor to be recognized for the work that’s being done to defend against threats and prepare for the demands of the future.”
Master Sgt. Nicholas Olson, NCO in charge of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear modernization for the Readiness Directorate received the Outstanding Emergency Manager award in the staff officer category.
As the sole military CBRN combat developer in the Department of the Air Force, Olson manages a $26 million budget and steered 15 research and development projects to support new career field strategic guidance. He led the development and implementation of the Austere Environment Reconnaissance and Surveillance platform to integrate systems for detection monitoring, sampling and reporting in CBRN-contested environments. Olson also orchestrated a successful CBRN validation exercise to test and validate new equipment and tactics, techniques and procedures directly contributing to increased force readiness.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team involved in this critical modernization effort,” Olson said. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and remain committed to advancing our CBRN capabilities for the safety and security of our forces.”
Two nominees received the Maj. Gen. William D. Gilbert award for their outstanding performance and exemplary service. Richard Smith, Airfield Pavement Evaluation program manager in the AFCEC Operations Directorate, took the civilian category and Senior Master Sgt. Janna Hiett, superintendent of the Protection Services Division in Detachment 4, won the enlisted category.
Smith led the Air Force’s only U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified soil lab where he conducted soil tests and classified samples from across the world to finalize 17 airfield reports, saving $75,000 in contract costs. He also engineered expedient test procedures for remote airfields and aided German airfield pavement evaluation teams and joint leaders to posture four airfields to help evacuate 86,000 American citizens during the Isreal crisis.
“As a civil engineer troop, you can’t get any closer to the heart of the Air Force than on the airfield,” Smith said. “It’s rewarding to have the opportunity to teach and enable joint service troops to ascertain and report the structural suitability of airfields to support aircraft operations.”
Hiett built and executed NATO’s first CBRN command and control exercise, leading 111 members from 16 nations to translate data and real-time intelligence to actionable decision briefs for commanders. She also oversees an $8 million budget to support and equip emergency response engineers and 72 deployable unit type codes for rapid response to support Air Force Force Generation actions and the European Deterrence Initiative. Hiett also trained and led the only Department of Defense team at NATO’s premier CBRN warning and reporting exercise, earning the superior performer award out of 46 teams from 18 nations.
“Finding and creating opportunities for our emergency managers to learn and operate alongside their NATO counterparts throughout Europe and seeing them tackle every challenge gives me a great sense of accomplishment,” Hiett said. “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who has supported me and proud to be a part of the amazing AFIMSC team.”