Col. Gail Halvorsen Award

The Colonel Gail Halvorsen Award is bestowed each year upon a member of the United States Air Force in the air transportation career field. In order to be eligible for this award, the individual must be an Active Duty, Reserve, or Nation Guard Air Transportation member. Further, the "Nominee must be performing Air Transportation duties that directly support airlift or tanker flying operations and/or personnel, demonstrate sustained excellence, and have exemplary conduct and character." The call message for award nominees also states that the individual must display an exceptional proficiency in air transportation duties, such as reducing process time of missions, the ability to adjust to extraordinary work duties, have the ability to solve problems in challenging situations, and provide self-improvement efforts.

Background of Col. Halvorsen
Col. Gail Halvorsen served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II in the Atlantic from 1944 to 1946 as a C-47 and as a C-54 transport pilot. In 1948 Col. Halvorsen volunteered for the mission, Operation Vittles, which many may know as the Berlin Airlift. During this mission he flew the C-54 delivering food, coal, and necessary supplies to the citizens of Berlin, which was blockaded by the soviets. During this tour, Col. Halvorsen began his own mission, operation Little Vittles, in which he dropped parachutes containing candy to the children of both east and west Berlin. Thus, he was nicknamed the "Candy Bomber" and the "Chocolate Pilot." This act of compassion for the children of the blockaded city began the notion of humanitarian airlift.

Col. Gail Halvorsen Award winners

 * 2004 award winner- Master Sergeant Brian T. McDaniel
 * 2005 award winner- Master Sergeant Carl Lane Jr.
 * 2006 award winner- Master Sergeant Curtis L. Palmer
 * 2007 award winner- Technical Sergeant Terry A. Fisher
 * 2008 award winner- Technical Sergeant Kody Dale Pruitt
 * 2009 award winner- Technical Sergeant Kevin Lee Brown
 * 2010 award winner- Master Sergeant Todd M. Butler

Quotes
"Too often the ground Personnel are taken for granted or overlooked in major air events that are outcome centered..." Col. Gail S. Halvorsen