LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
As first sergeant to his squadron, proponent of base fitness, volunteer at local youth camps, co-founder of the first San Antonio triathlon team and All-Air Force Triathlete, this year's recipient of the Lackland's male athlete of the year award personifies the notion of the complete package.
In delving through the nominees, the staff at Sports and Fitness found its well-rounded athlete.
"The Air Force Athlete of the Year is not based solely on athletic accomplishments," Fitness and Sports director Steve Reichert, 37th Force Support Squadron, said. "It's a whole person concept with athletics being the common draw."
So, when Anthony Milunas was recognized as such, it was by no means a small feat.
Excited, yet humble, Milunas downplayed his athletic achievements opting instead to emphasize his accomplishments in altruism.
"It's awesome," he said about the accolade. "But it's not always about who swims, runs or bikes the fastest," the first-year Armed Forces triathlete said. "It comes down to what you provide the active-duty Air Force and also the community."
Milunas' commitment to aiding people reach their fitness goals was a deciding factor in his selection to represent Lackland at Air Education and Training Command.
"He's an elite runner and triathlete. His times are comparable with all the other top nominees, but he also had a lot of community involvement," Reichert said. "He gives a lot back to the base and the community in terms of working with people and improving their running."
Milunas took on the challenge of endurance events three years ago, and already has experienced special moments in biking against Lance Armstrong at the Tour de Gruene Time Trial and swimming in the waters at Point Mugu, Calif., against the military's top triathletes.
Submerging himself in San Antonio, he found a way to apply knowledge gained in his previous position as an orthotist at Wilford Hall by leading free gait analysis and injury prevention education while introducing healthy living to local youth camps.
The choice of devoting time to the city's obesity problem also came naturally to the first sergeant.
"It's an epidemic that affects a large portion (of the San Antonio population)," he said. "It's not, 'Hey, maybe we should look at it.' We are already past that point. We need to do something about it."
Milunas said he encourages children to think outside the X-Box, with "anything that motivates kids to get outdoors, instead of inside behind an X-Box or Playstation.
"I try to help with local swim teams, teaching classes, any little class that teaches kids to have fun," Milunas said. "(I introduce) push-ups or sit-ups, lunges, or something crazy, where they think it's a game, but really, you are making them work a little bit."
On base Milunas assisted with the Health and Wellness Center's running improvement program to provide people with tools for improvement and also to strengthen the service overall.
Meanwhile, he managed to stack quite an athletic resume, competing in six individual events - the most recent being the Air Force's Half-Marathon Sept. 19 - and five team events during the review period, November 2008 through September 2009.
Delegating time to training, competing and teaching, Milunas' commitment to his squadron is still indelible - and his Blackberry invaluable.
Powered by his all-in-one mobile communication device, he maximizes his time while remaining accessible to the people that count on him.
"I'll always have my hands on my squadron," Milunas said. "I'll be out on the road running or in the pool swimming with the Blackberry on the deck. I am always 100 percent in touch with (the 342nd Training Squadron)."
Milunas takes on the Ford Ironman in Florida, Nov. 7, with a chance to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
Now, he's ready to extend his outreach to the 369th Recruiting Group as the squadron's new first sergeant.
"I get to experience recruiting firsthand and meet with the public," Milunas said. "I worked with technical students and now I have the chance to see the people who are on their way in. It's an honor to be a part of that."
Amanda Burton, 314th Military Intelligence Battalion, was selected as Team Lackland's female athlete of the year. Burton is a multiple-sport athlete, starring on Lackland's softball team as well as the All-Army women's softball and rugby teams and recently returning from the Armed Forces softball tournament in Florida.