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JBSA News
NEWS | Jan. 20, 2009

Randolph SNCO earns Air Force-level award in security forces

By Thomas Warner 12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

Taking credit for the work done by others is not something Master Sgt. George Barkman is comfortable doing. 

Instead, the NCO in charge of training at the Air Education and Training Command Security Forces directorate gives credit to the many people he has worked with both here and downrange at Joint Base Balad. 

Sergeant Barkman was named Air Force Security Forces Noncommis-sioned Officer of the Year for 2008. He said he was shocked when notified at Christmas that he earned the award. 

"I've got numerous people to thank because something like this is in no way an individual award," said Sergeant Barkman. "We are a MAJCOM and are helping out 12 other bases with policy procedures. So in a sense, we are working for them."
Sergeant Barkman is among 18 award winners throughout AETC Security Forces, all of whom will receive their awards at the Worldwide Security Forces Sym-posium in April at Lackland Air Force Base. 

"I worked with Greg when we were both deployed and he did a spectacular job defending Joint Base Balad," said Maj. Matthew McConnell, AETC Security Forces chief of future operations. "He and his people were responsible for all entry control points to the flight line there, the defense hospital and the Air Force living compound." 

Staffed with personnel from all branches of the military, the hospital at Joint Base Balad, in northern Iraq, is the most active forward deployed hospital since the Vietnam War.
"Sergeant Barkman volunteered to deploy to a combat area when many wouldn't," said Col. Gerard Jolivette, AETC chief of security forces. "He was pretty safe working here, but he volunteered for combat duty, because he wanted to lead Airmen. 

While downrange, Sergeant Barkman headed a group of 54 and routinely led joint service responses to enemy rocket and mortar attacks. In those instances, a point of impact was determined, as well as quick sorties to search for any casualties and unexploded ordnance. 

As a contact person for a squadron mentorship program he organized, Sergeant Barkman also was a sounding board for many staff and technical sergeants, both within his direct command and beyond those boundaries. 

"He has just come back here to Randolph, but did a lot of good things downrange," said Senior Master Sgt. Edward Doss, AETC security forces operations superintendent. "He was one of the critical pieces as a senior NCO down there." 

Here, Sergeant Barkman supervises roughly 25 people and is responsible for coordination of 12 AETC bases for security forces training and special projects.
He has made a point to network throughout the Air Force and other branches and, through membership with the Air Force Sergeants Association and other organizations, is heavily involved within the community both on-base and off. 

"I worked over two years with him and there is no task you hand him that he doesn't get accomplished," said Major McConnell. "He is very compassionate and always takes care of his fellow Airmen. He has a lot of friends across the Air Force and troops who call and ask him for advice. 

"He's the kind of NCO you need in a unit to help it run effectively."