The Judge Advocate General's
Annual Awards
The 50th Anniversary Edition of The Reporter recognized the outstanding legal professionals that received the highest awards from The Judge Advocate General (TJAG) each year. In this edition, we chronicle the award recipients from the past 25 years. Plaques recognizing the winners are on display at The Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Albert M. Kuhfeld Award
Outstanding Young Judge Advocate of the Year
This award honors Major General Albert M. Kuhfeld, USAF, Retired, who formerly held the position of TJAG. The annual winner is a Regular Air Force (RegAF) officer selected as the most outstanding young judge advocate of the year based on demonstrated excellence, initiative, leadership, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and devotion to duty. Eligible candidates are RegAF judge advocates serving in the grades of captain or major.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Major Lisa Turner, 1999
- Major Eric L. Dillow, 2000
- Lieutenant Colonel Gary D. Brown, 2001
- Major James K. Floyd, 2002
- Major Le T. Zimmerman, 2003
- Major Rebecca R. Vernon, 2004
- Major Charles L. Plummer, 2005
- Major Michele A. Pearce, 2006
- Major Ira Perkins, 2007
- Major Tiffany A. Dawson, 2008
- Major Stacy J. Vetter, 2009
- Major Seth A. Deam, 2010
- Major Matthew D. Burris, 2011
- Major Erica L. Harris, 2012
- Major Michelle Quitugua, 2013
- Major Zachary Augustine, 2014
- Major Reagan Beaton, 2015
- Major Jacob R. Marshall, 2016
- Major Windel Patterson, 2017
- Major John H. Bone, 2018
- Major Andrea M. Hunwick, 2019
- Major Ross A. Brown, 2020
- Major Kathryn A. Watson, 2021
- Major Thomas R. Burks, 2022
- Major Matthew G. Zellner, 2023
Reginald C. Harmon Award
Outstanding Air Reserve Component Judge Advocate of the Year
This award honors Major General Reginald C. Harmon, USAF, Retired, who formerly held the position of TJAG. The annual winner is an officer selected as the most outstanding Air Reserve Component (ARC) judge advocate based on their training accomplishments or contributions to mission support, exhibition of leadership in contributing to civic, cultural, or professional activities in the military or civilian community, attorney/ paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and enrollment in off-duty programs of professional self-improvement. Eligible candidates are ARC judge advocates in the grade of lieutenant colonel or below.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Major Mark H. Alexander, 1999
- Lieutenant Colonel Sandra K. Meadows, 2000
- Major Timothy J. Ritzka, 2001
- Major Carl J. Tierney, 2002
- Major Mark A. Fitzgerald, 2003
- Lieutenant Colonel Brent Wright, 2004
- Major Sean F. Conroy, 2005
- Major John F. O’Connell, 2006
- Lieutenant Colonel William D. Bunch, 2007
- Major Chadwick Austin, 2008
- Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. Rouse, 2009
- Major Grady O. Morton, Jr., 2010
- Major Seth Cowell, 2011
- Lieutenant Colonel Peter J. Camp, 2012
- Major Deborah Klein, 2013
- Lieutenant Colonel Maren Calvert, 2014
- Lieutenant Colonel Deanna Daly, 2015
- Major Robin A. Donato, 2016
- Major Amber Evans, 2017
- Major Molly L. McPherson, 2018
- Lieutenant Colonel Hanna Yang, 2019
- Major Grethe Hahn, 2020
- Major Douglas D. Hansen, 2021
- Major Alissa Schrider, 2022
- Major Kevin R. Cayton, 2023
James O. Wrightson, Jr., Award
Outstanding Civilian Attorney of the Year
This award was established in memory of Mr. James O. Wrightson, Jr., who formerly held the position of Chief, Military Affairs Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General. The annual winner is a civilian employee selected as the most outstanding civilian attorney of the year based on their demonstrated excellence, initiative, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and devotion to duty. Eligible candidates are civilian attorneys employed by or serving with the JAG Corps.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Mr. Blaine E. (Eric) Beckstrom, 1999
- Mr. Martin F. McAlwee, 2000
- Mr. W. Daryl Phillips, 2001
- Ms. Carolyn M. White, 2002
- Mr. Mehmet Nur Tanisik, 2003
- Mr. William Cavanaugh, 2004
- Mr. Bradford L. Buchanan, 2005
- Mr. Preston L. Mitchell, 2006
- Ms. Filiz de Vette, 2007
- Ms. Renee M. Collier, 2008
- Mr. Douglas D. Sanders, 2009
- Ms. Diana Berg, 2010
- Mr. Gerald R. Bruce, 2011
- Mr. Robert J. Hunt, 2012
- Mr. Martin Hali, 2013
- Ms. Elizabeth Waldrop, 2014
- Mr. Bryan Goldberg, 2015
- Mr. John E. Hartsell, 2016
- Ms. Rebecca Lively, 2017
- Mr. Adam E. Frey, 2018
- Mr. Graham Todd, 2019
- Ms. Isabelle P. Cutting, 2020
- Ms. Sharon J. Ackah, 2021
- Ms. Katherine Illingworth, 2022
- Ms. Kay M. Perry, 2023
Thomas Castleman Award
Outstanding Paralegal Airman of the Year
This award, established in 2014, honors Chief Master Sergeant Thomas Castleman, USAF, Retired, the third Senior Paralegal Manager to TJAG and the only Senior Paralegal Manager to serve in the position for more than five years. The annual winner is a RegAF Airman selected as the most outstanding paralegal Airman of the year based on their demonstrated excellence, initiative, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, devotion to duty, and technical skill. Eligible candidates are RegAF paralegals who have obtained their five skill level and are in the grade of senior airman or below.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Senior Airman Lauren Harris, 2013
- Senior Airman Samuel Legarreta, Jr., 2014
- Staff Sergeant Catherine Westervelt, 2015
- Senior Airmen Conner Whetstone, 2016
- Senior Airman Jose Hernandez, 2017
- Senior Airman Savannah S. Perez, 2018
- Staff Sergeant Oliver Vinegas, 2019
- Senior Airman Jairzinho D. Burke, 2020
- Senior Airman William C. Biehl IV, 2021
- Senior Airman Armanda K. Jackson, 2022
- Senior Airman Victoria L. Mastriona, 2023
Steve Swigonski Award
Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer Paralegal of the Year
This award honors Chief Master Sergeant Steve Swigonski, USAF, Retired, the first Special Assistant for Legal Airman Affairs to TJAG. The annual winner is a RegAF noncommissioned officer (NCO) selected as the most outstanding paralegal NCO of the year based upon their demonstrated excellence, initiative, leadership, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and technical skill. Eligible candidates are RegAF paralegals who have obtained, at a minimum, their five skill level and are in the grade of technical sergeant or staff sergeant.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Master Sergeant Rodney J. Wilson, 1999
- Technical Sergeant Christina A. Treat, 2000
- Technical Sergeant Jeffrey J. Julig, 2001
- Technical Sergeant Kendall L. Cooper, 2002
- Technical Sergeant Josephine Zapata, 2003
- Staff Sergeant Lee Feldhausen, 2004
- Technical Sergeant Richard A. Cusack III, 2005
- Technical Sergeant Dawn R. Wolfe, 2006
- Technical Sergeant Sharon L. Reeder, 2007
- Technical Sergeant Jesse D. Bascombe, 2008
- Technical Sergeant Karin L. Burke, 2009
- Technical Sergeant Tanya M. Lopez, 2010
- Staff Sergeant Anthony D. Brewer, 2011
- Staff Sergeant Melissa J. Rush, 2012
- Technical Sergeant Holly Bambarger, 2013
- Master Sergeant Natasha Hoglund, 2014
- Technical Sergeant Brooke Hamilton, 2015
- Staff Sergeant Martin V. Dominguez II, 2016
- Technical Sergeant April Horn, 2017
- Technical Sergeant Elizabeth A. Mann, 2018
- Technical Sergeant Alisa J. Schliesmann, 2019
- Technical Sergeant Ashley D. Ishmon, 2020
- Technical Sergeant Devin W. Holmes, 2021
- Technical Sergeant Jose D.J. Sanchez IV, 2022
- Technical Sergeant Juana G. Schoonmaker, 2023
Karen Yates-Popwell Award
Outstanding Paralegal Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
This award honors Chief Master Sergeant Karen E. Yates-Popwell, USAF, Retired, the eighth Senior Paralegal Manager to TJAG and first woman to hold the position. First debuted in the 2000 TJAG Awards Announcement Memorandum, this award was officially established in 2002 by AFI 36-2855, Judge Advocate General Awards. The annual winner is a RegAF senior noncommissioned officer (SNCO) selected as the most outstanding paralegal SNCO of the year based on their demonstrated excellence, superior initiative, leadership, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and management skills. Eligible candidates are RegAF paralegals serving in the grade of senior master sergeant or master sergeant.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Master Sergeant James R. Buckner, Jr., 2000
- Master Sergeant Rodney J. Wilson, 2001
- Senior Master Sergeant William M. McGovern, 2002
- Master Sergeant Charles J. Smith, 2003
- Master Sergeant William Ritter, 2004
- Master Sergeant Martha J. Meador, 2005
- Master Sergeant Teresa J. Herrera, 2006
- Master Sergeant Cartin C. Wiley, 2007
- Master Sergeant Kristen M. Orcutt, 2008
- Senior Master Sergeant Steven J. Fitzgerald, 2009
- Senior Master Sergeant Kimberlee L. Bauer, 2010
- Master Sergeant Robert N. Barry III, 2011
- Master Sergeant Nathan E. Rasch, 2012
- Master Sergeant Charles Zaldivar, 2013
- Master Sergeant Steven Pierce, Jr., 2014
- Master Sergeant Osby Watts, 2015
- Master Sergeant Jessica K. Moore, 2016
- Master Sergeant Jessica Larsen, 2017
- Senior Master Sergeant Alexius J. Reid, 2018
- Senior Master Sergeant Carrie M. Todd, 2019
- Master Sergeant Toribio A. Garcia, 2020
- Senior Master Sergeant Ashton D. Deloney, 2021
- Senior Master Sergeant Reina M. Blake, 2022
- Master Sergeant Savella M. Constancio, 2023
David Westbrook Award
Outstanding Air Reserve Component Airman/NCO Paralegal of the Year
This award honors Chief Master Sergeant David Westbrook, USAFR, Retired, a former senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee paralegal to the General Law Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General. The annual winner is an ARC NCO or Airman selected as the most outstanding paralegal ARC NCO or Airman of the year based on their demonstrated superior initiative, technical skill, training accomplishments or contribution to mission support, exhibition of leadership qualities in contributing to civic, cultural, or professional activities in the military or civilian community, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and enrollment in off-duty programs of professional self-improvement. Eligible candidates are ARC paralegals in the grade of technical sergeant and below.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Staff Sergeant Maria A. Gomez, 1999
- Master Sergeant Mitchell W. Ferguson, 2000
- Senior Master Sergeant Nancy Luna, 2001
- Technical Sergeant Tracy L. Warga, 2002
- Master Sergeant Mary Alice Rebis, 2003
- Master Sergeant Lori Schumacher, 2004
- Technical Sergeant Marion Harrison, 2005
- Senior Master Sergeant Ann Parker, 2006
- Technical Sergeant Michelle M. Molina, 2007
- Senior Master Sergeant Imelda B. Johnson, 2008
- Technical Sergeant Robert B. Misner, 2009
- Technical Sergeant Tracy A. Doherty, 2010
- Technical Sergeant Yaira Z. Rosales, 2011
- Master Sergeant Anna L. Encalada, 2012
- Master Sergeant Misty Auschwitz, 2013
- Technical Sergeant Arthur Bloomingdale, 2014
- Technical Sergeant Sueann Hufford, 2015
- Technical Sergeant Jenna L. Calderone, 2016
- Technical Sergeant Travis Craig, 2017
- Staff Sergeant Clifford J. McElroy, 2018
- Technical Sergeant Renata M. Sanchez, 2019
- Technical Sergeant Stephanie E. Bogdanovic, 2020
- Staff Sergeant Min A. Ha, 2021
- Technical Sergeant Jennifer M. Fuchs, 2022
- Staff Sergeant Evelyn Melendez, 2023
Andrew Stadler Award
Outstanding Air Reserve Component SNCO Paralegal of the Year
This award, established in 2014, honors Chief Master Sergeant Andrew Stadler, Indiana Air National Guard, Retired, a former Air National Guard Paralegal Career Field Manager. The annual winner is an ARC SNCO selected as the most outstanding paralegal ARC SNCO of the year based on their training accomplishments or contributions to mission support, exhibition of leadership in contributing to civic, cultural, or professional activities in the military or civilian community, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, management skills, and enrollment in off-duty programs of professional self-improvement. Eligible candidates are ARC paralegals in the grade of senior master sergeant or master sergeant.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Master Sergeant John Heckman, 2014
- Senior Master Sergeant Diana Caldwell, 2015
- Senior Master Sergeant Tijuana Griffin, 2016
- Master Sergeant Jessica Pierce, 2017
- Master Sergeant Dorothy K. Sherwood, 2018
- Master Sergeant Ernest K. Erickson, 2019
- Master Sergeant Elizabeth M. Rabjohn, 2020
- Master Sergeant Gina C. Nunez, 2021
- Master Sergeant Donald L. Googe, 2022
- Master Sergeant Kayla D. Chase, 2023
Harold R. Vague Award
Outstanding Legal Service Civilian of the Year
This award honors Major General Harold R. Vague, USAF, Retired, who formerly held the position of TJAG. The annual winner is a civilian employee selected as the most outstanding employee based on their demonstrated excellence, initiative, attorney/paralegal partnerships, external collaboration, and devotion to duty. Eligible candidates are civilians, excluding attorneys, employed by or serving with the JAG Corps and providing legal and/or administrative support to legal offices.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Ms. Deirdre K. Abernathy, 1999
- Ms. Barbara J. Verrier, 2000
- Mr. Hans Kind, 2001
- Ms. Marshelle A. Myers, 2002
- Ms. Constance L. Roe, 2003
- Ms. Carol Parmley-Wyman, 2004
- Ms. Sandra Q. Miles, 2005
- Ms. Linda R. Sanders, 2006
- Mr. Ruben Martinez, 2007
- Ms. Melissa L. Keesee, 2008
- Mr. Ronald E. Frazier, 2009
- Ms. Bonnie J. Scotto, 2010
- Mr. James Bivens, Jr., 2011
- Mr. Kendall G. Burnett, 2012
- Ms. Karen Mackay, 2013
- Ms. Hayley Hopkins, 2014
- Mr. Robert Yancey, 2015
- Ms. Tracey A. Cooper, 2016
- Ms. Catherine L. Gastineau, 2016
- Ms. Margriet Boon, 2017
- Mr. Carter P. Schrage, 2018
- Mrs. Artara Daniels, 2019
- Ms. Helen A. Morris, 2020
- Ms. Crystal C. Spencer, 2021
- Ms. Nadine N. Sims, 2022
- Mr. Hans Kind, 2023
Stuart R. Reichart Award
Outstanding Senior Attorney
This award honors Mr. Stuart R. Reichart, who formerly held the position of General Counsel of the Air Force. It recognizes the outstanding legal achievements of a senior Department of the Air Force attorney. The award honors demonstrated excellence and initiative, leadership and management skills, and professionalism in the practice of law. Eligible candidates are attorneys with at least 14 years of service with the Department of Defense, with the most recent seven years as a judge advocate (RegAF or ARC) or civilian attorney, or both, for the Department of the Air Force.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Colonel Lester K. Katahara, 1999
- Colonel Stephen C. Donnelly, 2000
- Colonel David G. Ehrhart, 2001
- Colonel Conrad Von Wald, 2002
- Colonel Thomas L. Strand, 2003
- Colonel Michael D. Murphy, 2004
- Colonel Edward J. Monahan, 2005
- Mr. James W. Russell III, 2006
- Mr. Lyndon B. James, 2007
- Colonel Evan L. Haberman, 2008
- Mr. David W. Chappell, 2009
- Colonel Tonya Hagmaier, 2010
- Dr. David E. Sprowls, 2011
- Colonel Tom Zimmerman, 2012
- Mr. Scott Martin, 2013
- Mr. Gordon Hammock, 2014
- Colonel Peter Marksteiner, 2015
- Colonel Rodger A. Drew, Jr., 2016
- Colonel Vance Spath, 2017
- Colonel Rebecca R. Vernon, 2018
- Colonel Ira Perkins, 2019
- Colonel James H. Kennedy III, 2020
- Mr. Peter J. Camp, 2021
- Ms. Hildegarde Perlstein, 2022
- Mr. Robert A. Williams, 2023
Olan G. Waldrop, Jr., Award
Unsung Hero
This award, established in 2005, honors Brigadier General Olan G. Waldrop, Jr., USAF, Retired, who formerly held the position of Staff Judge Advocate, Air Force Materiel Command. It recognizes individuals who demonstrate selfless devotion to duty, support to others, and dedication to the JAG Corps. This award is not presented annually.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Lieutenant Colonel Bill C. Wells, 2005
- Master Sergeant John W. Jackson, 2006
- Mr. James Whitaker, 2006
- Brigadier General Edward F. Rodriguez, Jr., USAF (Ret.), 2007
- Ms. Valerie Lucas, 2007
- Lieutenant Colonel Rachael L. Mercer, 2008
- Colonel John J. Martinez, Jr., USAF (Ret.), 2008
- Mr. Booker T. Dillard, Jr., 2009
- Ms. Frauingrid Legrand, 2010
- Ms. Andrea Slayton, 2012
- Major W. David Vernon, 2014
- Mr. David Fillman, 2015
- Ms. Joyce M. Yocum, 2016
- Captain Christian Acevedo, 2017
- Technical Sergeant Laurel Foster, 2017
- Airman First Class Ashley Davis, 2017
- Mr. Howard Blan, 2019
- Ms. Irene Gamez, 2019
- Ms. Estela M. Engle, 2020
- Ms. Tammy M. Johnson, 2020
- Master Sergeant Alexander J. Puma, 2020
- Ms. Heather E. Middleton, 2021
- Mr. Brad W. Mitchell, 2022
- Major Ryan V. Haslam, 2023
Joy Dunlap Award
Family Service
This award, established in 2009, honors Ms. Joy Dunlap’s service to the JAG Corps family. Ms. Dunlap’s spouse, Major General Charles J. Dunlap, Jr., USAF, Retired, formerly held the position of the Deputy Judge Advocate General. It recognizes a JAG Corps family member who, through contribution of his or her time and talent, has made a significant contribution to the strength, health, and welfare of the JAG Corps family. This award is not presented annually.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Mr. Tom Hagmaier, 2008
- Ms. Kristin Lorek, 2009
- Mrs. Heather Weber, 2010
- Mrs. Robin Burne, 2012
- Ms. Courtney Welch, 2014
- Mr. Jason Kidd, 2015
- Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Thomas Lenz, 2017
- Mrs. Tulsi Crowell, 2019
- Ms. Evelyn L. Guevara, 2020
- Ms. Roselyn C. Boyle, 2022
- Mrs. Brenda Hebner, 2023
Special Service Award
This award was developed in 1984 and recognizes outstanding individual contributions to the JAG Corps. It may be presented to a member of the Corps, a military member outside the Corps, or a member of the civilian community. This award is not presented annually.
Award Recipients from the Past 25 Years
- Dr. Sezer Gokhan, 2002
- Mr. Sam Hilker, 2003
- Brigadier General Edward F. Rodriguez, Jr., USAF (Ret.), 2005
- Brigadier General Roger A. Jones, USAF (Ret.), 2007
- Major General William A. Moorman, USAF (Ret.), 2011
- Colonel (Ret.) Paul Black, 2011
- Ms. Mary Alford, 2011
- Colonel (Ret.) David Hoard, 2012
Edited by: Major Allison K.W. Johnson (Editor-in-Chief) and Major Andrew H. Woodbury
Layout by: Thomasa Huffstutler