[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT EMILIO HERNANDEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2012

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to honor Senior 
Master Sergeant Emilio Hernandez, an exceptional individual who has 
most recently been awarded the 2012 Outstanding Airman of the Year 
award by the United States Air Force. This prestigious award is given 
to only 12 members of the Air Force each year for their superior 
leadership, job performance, community involvement, and personal 
achievements.
  SMSgt Hernandez was born in Havana, Cuba but grew up in Miami, FL. He 
graduated from Hialeah High School in 1990 and began his military 
career in 1992, serving at both Sheppard AFB in Texas and K.I. Sawyer 
Air Force Base in Michigan. He was deployed to Incirlik Air Base in 
Turkey later that year in support of Operation PROVIDE COMFORT where he 
garnered two achievement medals, and was selected as a holiday phone 
call recipient from then President Bill Clinton. His decorated service 
history includes deployments to Kuwait in support of Operation SOUTHERN 
WATCH, and Baghdad in support of both Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and 
ENDURING FREEDOM.
  In 2008, SMSgt Hernandez was assigned to his current position in the 
100th Civil Engineer Squadron as Superintendent Operations Flight at 
RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. In 2009 he deployed to Ali Base 
Iraq, where he served as Electrical Superintendent of the 407th 
Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and received the Meritorious 
Service Medal. Later, he was selected as the 100th Civil Engineer 
Squadron's 2009 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the year. In 2011 
SMSgt Hernandez was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service at 
Kandahar Airfield as the Operations Flight Chief of the 777th 
Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron.
  In his current position, SMSgt Hernandez has led 52 people in 53 
civil engineering projects at 163 forward operating bases in support of 
85,000 warfighters. He orchestrated $80,000 in repairs to nine Marine 
Corps aircraft hangers to safeguard $300 million in assets in support 
of a vital ISR platform. He oversaw a project to upgrade an electrical 
grid on a dam which preserved water and power flow to 450,000 Afghans, 
and managed the construction of two tactical operations centers worth 
$500,000, securing Afghanistan's key district of Panjwai.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Senior Master Sergeant 
Emilio Hernandez for his continued service to our nation, and I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable individual.

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