FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- A Fairchild non-commissioned officer was recently the recipient of the Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Award, an honor that recognizes exceptional leadership abilities in maintenance career fields in the Air Force.

Tech. Sgt. Travis Madden, 92nd Maintenance Squadron productions element chief in ammunition, was instructed to arrive at the Wing Stand-Up at wing headquarters Jan. 2 where he was officially recognized as the recipient of the award by Col. Roger Watkins, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander.

"It was a little bit of a surprise," said Sergeant Madden. "It feels great. For anyone in the munitions category, it's a big deal to have won this award."

Named after General Marquez who held high-level positions in the maintenance career field during his service in the Air Force including deputy director of maintenance engineering and supply and deputy chief of staff for logistics and engineering, both at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C, the award is given to maintenance NCOs who exemplify the standards of excellence as a leader.

Sergeant Madden supervises 12 Airmen, the largest section in ammunition, and is responsible for all inspections and storage and re-warehousing operations, he said. He also trained and certified six new inspectors, among many other accomplishments during his tenure here.

"I showcased the munitions storage area to the Air Force and Department of Defense, conducting seven tours," Sergeant Madden noted, mentioning Fairchild's storage area is the largest in Air Mobility Command. "I also initiated a couple of programs out here, such as the storage monitoring inspection program."

Additionally, he achieved a 94.6 percent question and answer pass rate on 36 over-the-shoulder evaluations. This "crushed the AMC standards by nine percent," he said.

Receiving the award is a distinctive credit to any extraordinary leader, as it not only recognizes the efforts of the superior. The award indirectly extends gratitude to the Airmen who fall under the hand of Sergeant Madden.

"All of the people who work for me and with me really made this happen," said Sergeant Madden. "It's always a collective effort."