Air University senior enlisted leader graduates and officer alumni were admitted into the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force International Honor Roll (IHR) last week at Montgomery's Maxwell Air Force Base.
Air University is an accredited professional military education university system that belongs to the United States Air Force. It is headquartered at the Maxwell Air Force Base and intends to educate air, space and cyberspace leaders.
The IHR has been honoring Air University graduates for 34 years. These graduates have eventually attained prominent positions in their home military or government. This is the first time the IHR is honoring enlisted graduates.
Enlisted nominees for the IHR must be in-resident graduates of the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy (SNCOA). The Air Force SNCOA has graduated 402 international students from over 40 countries since 1973 and has four international instructors.
“The significance of inducting our partner nation senior enlisted leaders into the International Honor Roll alumni cannot be overstated,” Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass said. “As we enter an era of contested domains, our international allies and partners will be the ones standing alongside us. I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the induction of our newest IHR members.”
The enlisted inductees attended an additional ceremony where they dedicated the IHR wall in the SNCOA at Maxwell Air Force Base Gunter Annex with Bass. The honorees then joined Bass on a tour of the Enlisted Heritage Hall.
Enlisted members of the 2022 class include Command Sgt. Maj Vladimir Blažek of the Czech Republic, Chief Master Sgt. Janis Jallai of Estonia, Chief Master Sgt. Andres Riisaar of Estonia, Chief Master Sgt. Zsolt Berek of Hungary, retired Chief Warrant Officer Saif Aldeen Moh’D Ibraheem Al-Dammin of Jordan, Command Sgt. Maj. Alvydas Tamošiūnas of Lithuania and Chief Master Sgt. Hans Hutmacher of Switzerland.
“It’s a great privilege,” said Tamošiūnas. “I’m very delighted to be recognized. It’s very good for my organization and for my country, as well. It was great people and a great class. The instructors built a great network to communicate that is still alive. It’s working, and it’s effective. The class builds bridges between different cultures, and it’s very important to us.”
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