[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E523-E524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR AIRMAN 
              ALEXANDER W. BLENCH, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2012

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
outstanding achievement of Senior Airman Alexander W. Blench, who 
recently received the 2011 Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Award as the 
Air Force's Outstanding Aircraft Maintenance Airman.
  Originally hailing from Escondido, California, SrA Blench joined the 
United States Air Force as an F 15 Avionics Technician in 2008. He 
served at RAF Lakenheath, England and in Afghanistan before reporting 
to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in 2010. A self-described tinkerer 
who developed a love of mechanics as a child working in his father's 
machine shop, SrA Blench now specializes in repairing electronic 
warfare and countermeasure systems in F 15C and F 15E aircraft. He also 
works on aircraft wiring, flight controls, environmental systems, 
munitions guidance systems and video lines. At only 24 years old, SrA 
Blench has already compiled an impressive list of contributions to our 
nation's Air Force. His sharp eye and keen understanding of avionics 
allowed him to identify and quickly rectify countermeasure and flight 
control failures, faulty telemetry data, a radar elevation discrepancy 
and crucial systems malfunctions. His personal efforts led to five 
modifications of three separate types of aircraft and contributed 
directly to 1,700 sorties and over 2,600 flying hours resulting in the 
success of several critical test missions.
  SrA Blench's dedication to excellence, however, goes beyond his 
professional duties. In addition to his significant professional 
achievements, SrA Blench also completed a Community College of the Air 
Force degree in Avionics Systems Technology. He is also pursuing a 
Bachelor of Science degree with a 3.95 GPA, he volunteered his off-duty 
time to clean and paint a local middle school, and he participated in a 
local Northwest Florida beach conservation effort by assisting with 
planting 1,400 trees along the shoreline. Not only has SrA Blench 
proven himself to be a good Airman, he has also shown himself to be a 
good

[[Page E524]]

neighbor and an outstanding representative of the United States Air 
Force in the Northwest Florida community.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged 
to recognize SrA Alexander W. Blench. His dedication to duty, his 
technical competence, and his contributions to the local community all 
bear testament to his personal embodiment of the Air Force's core 
values--``Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All 
We Do.'' My wife Vicki joins me in congratulating SrA Blench, and we 
wish him all the best for continued success.

                          ____________________