MIDVALE, Utah -- The Utah Air National Guard celebrated its Airmen of the Year during a banquet held in their honor at the Zions Bancorporation’s Midvale Technology Campus on Jan. 10, 2026, in Midvale, Utah.
The Airmen of the Year banquet celebrated excellence, resilience, and dedication, featuring inspiring speeches from Major Gen. Daniel Boyack, the Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Chris Buckner, the Assistant Adjutant General of the Utah Air National Guard.
In his heartfelt address, Utah National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Daniel Boyack underscored the critical role Utah Airmen play in maintaining readiness during a period marked by global uncertainty, shifting priorities, and an increasingly demanding operational tempo. He acknowledged the challenges of sustaining modernization and mission effectiveness amid budget constraints and evolving threats, while emphasizing that the Utah Air National Guard's strength lies in the consistency and professionalism of its people. “Through all the noise, the one constant we have is the men and women of the Utah National Guard,” Boyack said.
Boyack highlighted that Utah’s reputation as a high-performing force is not based on perception but on results, citing national-level recognition, mission execution, and innovation that continue to set the state apart. He gave examples of Airmen who have gone on to earn regional and national awards, as well as advancements in capabilities and missions entrusted to Utah due to its proven ability to deliver. Boyack emphasized that leadership, accountability, and daily commitment to high standards enable Airmen to meet complex mission demands at home and abroad, reinforcing the Guard’s role as a reliable and indispensable part of the joint force.
He also highlighted the breadth of missions carried out by Utah Guardsmen, from rapid-response deployments and joint exercises to lifesaving actions within local communities. Boyack noted that Utah’s ability to execute complex missions, innovate under pressure, and support partners across the joint force has positioned the state as a model within the Air National Guard. He concluded by expressing pride in the nominees and winners, emphasizing that their performance reflects the force's values, culture, and overall readiness.
Brig. Gen. Chris Buckner closed the evening with remarks highlighting 2025 as a year defined by achievement, operational tempo, and deliberate excellence across the force. He accentuated that the accomplishments celebrated throughout the year, including 24/7 operations supporting global missions, nuclear readiness inspections, Exercise Hydra, African Lion, recall activations, and worldwide deployments, were the result of focused training, disciplined execution, and a shared commitment to excellence across the Utah Air National Guard. “The past year has been a testament to the incredible capabilities and unwavering commitment of the Utah Air National Guard,” he said.
He outlined three foundational pillars that underpin the Guard’s success: readiness, innovation, and culture. Readiness, he noted, remains the cornerstone of the mission, ensuring Airmen are prepared to defend the homeland and respond whenever called. He highlighted innovation as a force multiplier, citing efforts to modernize legacy platforms such as the KC-135 Stratotanker to meet the demands of modern, multi-domain operations. He also emphasized the importance of culture, describing it as the bond that unites Airmen and ensures the organization continues to grow stronger.
Brig. Gen. Buckner concluded by recognizing Airmen and their families, noting that the nominees and winners embody these pillars through their professionalism, dedication, and service. He thanked those who supported the event and encouraged the force to continue striving for excellence while taking pride in the collective achievements of the Utah Air National Guard.
The following received awards in their respective categories:
Diamond SHARP award: Senior Master Sgt. Jason Dandurand
Chiefs Excellence in Innovation Award: Mindy Christen
Civilian of the Year: Ms. Toni Smuin
Honor Guard Member of the Year: SrA Emma Pitkin
First Sergeant of the Year: Master Sgt. Peter Gilbert
Field Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Tayva Lamb
- Maj. Lamb delivered transformative leadership across engineering, logistics, and readiness missions at the state, national, and international levels. He led efforts to modernize project development across the Engineering Installation enterprise, accelerating communication timelines and driving adoption of changes across multiple Air National Guard and active-duty units. Lamb directed critical infrastructure upgrades overseas that significantly expanded network capacity to support intelligence operations and served as a senior engineering advisor for Pacific-based missions, ensuring day-one operational capability for an emerging headquarters. As a commander, he sustained mission-ready resources, executed flawless deployment and mobilization operations, and implemented targeted training initiatives that measurably increased unit readiness. Beyond mission execution, Lamb strengthened unit culture, heritage, and advocacy through community involvement and service to the Guard, reinforcing long-term readiness and cohesion.
Company Grade Officer of the Year: 1st Lt. Phillip Howard
- First Lt. Phillip Howard played a key role in sustaining mission readiness through exceptional leadership in food service and logistics operations across domestic, joint, and multinational environments. During Exercise African Lion 2025, Howard provided critical administrative and logistical support, enabling medical teams to treat thousands of patients across multiple communities and strengthening humanitarian and partner-nation operations. As the base food service officer, he improved accountability, modernized operations, and enhanced customer feedback systems, driving measurable improvements in efficiency and service quality. Howard also led expeditionary feeding operations during major exercises in the United States and Europe, ensuring uninterrupted support to thousands of joint and NATO personnel. His leadership extended beyond the mission, strengthening team development, community engagement, and professional excellence across the force.
Senior Non-Commissioned Officer: Master Sgt. Derrin Cook
- Master Sgt. Darren Creek demonstrated exceptional leadership and technical expertise across high-risk operational, joint, and community missions. He led the development of drone response protocols to support the 2025 Nuclear Readiness Inspection, saving government resources and earning recognition as an AMC Inspector General Top Performer. Creek also directed complex multi-agency responses to hazardous ordnance incidents, including the safe identification and disposal of a World War I-era projectile in Grantsville, Utah, protecting more than 5,000 residents. Widely recognized as a subject matter expert, he supported national and international EOD missions, contributed to major joint exercises, and mentored Airmen, consistently strengthening readiness while embodying the Wingman ethos.
Non-commissioned Officer: Tech. Sgt. Daniel Stevenson
- Tech. Sgt. Stevenson delivered exceptional leadership and operational excellence within the command-and-control enterprise, directly strengthening readiness and resilience across the Utah Air National Guard. Selected as a senior controller during a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff assessment, he led rapid responses to dozens of Emergency Action Messages, significantly surpassing required timelines. Stevenson played a key role in pioneering the Guard’s first joint communications outage and dispersed operations exercise, integrating military, state, and civilian partners to ensure mission continuity during total communications failure scenarios. His leadership elevated Command Post training and performance during nuclear evaluations, earning near-perfect inspection scores and zero write-ups. Beyond daily operations, Stevenson advanced secure communications capabilities, safeguarded critical systems, and extended his expertise to community emergency planning, reinforcing mission readiness at every level.
Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Drake Hall
- Senior Airman Hall delivered significant intelligence effects in support of national security, counterterrorism, and homeland defense operations. Serving as an intelligence analyst, Hall produced dozens of intelligence reports and strategic briefings that directly informed law enforcement actions and multiple combatant command operations. He supported missions across U.S. Northern, Southern, and Africa Commands, contributed to border security initiatives, and helped build new intelligence capabilities by training and mentoring fellow Airmen on advanced analytical tools and mission-essential tradecraft. Beyond his operational contributions, Hall strengthened readiness through mentorship, safety leadership, and academic excellence, earning the John L. Levitow Award and graduating as the top student from Airman Leadership School.
Outstanding team: 109th Air Control Squadron Unit Conversion Office
- Maj Jimmy Yu, Capt Jarod Rich, MSgt Donald Figgins, MSgt Kyle Parker, MSgt Michele Flagg, TSgt Alexander Strong, TSgt Anastasia Figgins, SSgt Nathalia Salazar
- The team drove a historic transformation of the Utah Air National Guard’s cyber enterprise, executing one of the fastest and most comprehensive unit conversions in the Air National Guard. They led the divestment of $25 million in legacy Control and Reporting Center equipment while simultaneously converting the Guard’s largest operations squadron into two Cyber Operations Squadrons, enabling more than 150 Airmen to transition into new cyber warfare roles ahead of schedule. Through aggressive coordination with the National Guard Bureau, state and local partners, the team secured millions in funding for training, infrastructure, and a future state-of-the-art cyberspace operations facility, dramatically expanding secure workspace and long-term capability. Despite delays in fielding new weapon systems, they mitigated risk by sourcing equipment at minimal cost, sustaining cyber training and readiness. Their efforts also strengthened recruiting, qualification, and manning, positioning the units for initial operating capability and establishing Utah as a national leader in cyber force development.
The Utah Air National Guard Airmen, Non-Commissioned Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, and First Sergeants will compete nationally with the opportunity to compete at the National Guard and Air Force levels to be one of the Air Force's Twelve Outstanding Airmen of the Year.
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