A/TQ covers - Airlift/Tanker Association

The Airlift/Tanker Association Young Leadership Award is presented annually
to twelve individuals who have displayed performance excellence,
outstanding professional skill, knowledge and leadership
in fulfillment of their duties.
Captain Michael B. Baker
Test Wing Executive Officer, C-17 Experimental Test Pilot
Captain Michael B. Baker is an executive officer for the 412th
Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, California. Captain Baker was
born in Hazard, Kentucky, on 10 September 1974. He attended
Leslie County High School and excelled
in academics and sports. Capt Baker
graduated as solitarian of his class and
earned a scholarship to play football at
Georgetown College, Kentucky.
During his college football career he
was voted all-conference three times,
earned Academic All-American honors
and was voted Team Captain by his
teammates. He also was recipient of the
A.O. Duer Award which was given to the
conference’s most outstanding junior
student athlete. After graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors
with a BS in Chemistry, he entered the University of Kentucky
to pursue a BS and MS in mechanical engineering. Upon finishing
his graduate degree in 2002, he was employed by L-3 Communications
as a design engineer on Blackhawk, Little Bird and
Chinook helicopters.
Capt Baker left L-3 Communications in the summer of 2003
to attend Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base,
Alabama. He again excelled in the classroom by earning the
Thomas Jefferson Academic Award, given to the class’s top academic
performer. After graduation he entered undergraduate
flight training (UFT) at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia with a
follow-on at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. He attended C-17
Pilot Initial Qualification training following UFT and entered
his first C-17 operational assignment at Charleston Air Force
Base, South Carolina.
During his time at Charleston he was deployed to the theater
two times earning valuable combat experience. After only 14
months he received a joint spouse assignment to Travis Air Force
Base, California. It was here that he quickly upgraded to instructor
pilot earning Squadron Aircraft Commander and Instructor
Pilot of the Year. After only 3 years at Travis Air Force Base, Capt
Baker was accepted at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School
at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
After completing Test Pilot School in the summer of 2010, Capt
Baker was assigned to the multi-engine test squadron at Edwards
Air Force Base. Prior to entering the squadron, he was selected
to attend Squadron Officer School where he was recognized as
the number one graduate out of 390 students. After returning to
the squadron, he soon took over as the C-17 Flight Commander
and led the mission planning and execution for all C-17 developmental
flight testing. His strong leadership and airmanship
skills were quickly recognized as he was awarded both the Group
Company Grade Officer and Test Aircrew of the Quarter Awards.
These outstanding management skills were soon recognized at
the wing level and Capt Baker was hired as an executive officer
for the Air Force’s largest Test Wing. Capt Baker is the recipient
of six Air Medals, two Air Force Achievement Medals and the Air
Force Commendation Medal.
Major Joseph D. Beal
C-17 Evaluator Aircraft Commander, Weapons and Tactics Flight Commander
Major Beal is a C-17 Evaluator Aircraft Commander and the
Weapons and Tactics Flight Commander assigned to the 517th
Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He is
32 years old.
Major Beal grew up in Jacksonville, Alabama.
He earned his undergraduate degree
from the University of West Florida
in 2002 and his graduate degree from the
University of Alabama in 2010.
Upon completion of Undergraduate
Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base,
Oklahoma, in 2004, Major Beal attended
C-17 Copilot Initial Qualification at Altus
Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He was then
assigned to Charleston Air Force Base,
South Carolina, serving the elite Special Operations Low Level II
unit. In 2011, he was assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Major Beal is married to the former Dana Schnitker. He is an
active volunteer with his son’s Boy Scouts of America troop. Major
Beal was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Award and Outstanding
Flying Award from the Weapons Instructor Course in 2011.
He is the recipient of the Air Medal and has received numerous
awards for accomplishments in his Air Force career.
“If your actions inspire others to
dream more, learn more, do more and
become more, you are a leader.”
–John Quincy Adams
Technical Sergeant Jason W. Boehm
Assistant Flight Chief, C-130H FTU Instructor Loadmaster
Technical Sergeant Jason W. Boehm is a FTU Instructor Loadmaster
assigned to the 62d Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force
Base, Arkansas. He is 35 years old. Sergeant Boehm was born in
Norristown, Pennsylvania on 4 February
1977. He attended Norristown Area
High School. After graduating from high
school, Sergeant Boehm enlisted in the
United States Air Force in 1995 and arrived
at Lackland AFB, Texas in 1995 for
basic training. Upon graduation, he attended
Loadmaster Technical Training at
Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, with follow-on
C-141 training at Altus Air Force
Base, Oklahoma.
With the completion of his training, Sergeant
Boehm was assigned to the 13th Airlift Squadron, McGuire Air
Force Base, New Jersey. During this assignment, Sergeant Boehm flew
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A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Fall 2012
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