Syracuse Air National Guardsman named Continental NORAD Region Junior Airman of the Year

Eastern Air Defense Sector personnel have won seven annual awards from the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region-First Air Force (CONR-1AF) and Air Forces Northern (AFNORTH).

Located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, CONR and AFNORTH each recognize annual award winners and administer a combined CONR-AFNORTH awards program as well.

"It's a remarkable achievement to win individual awards in organizations as large as CONR and AFNORTH and I congratulate our six individual winners on their outstanding accomplishments," said Col. Paul M. Bishop, EADS Commander. "As a Commander, the awards are especially gratifying because they recognize the professional skill, technical excellence and personal dedication that I see every day."

Five New York Air National Guardsmen and one civilian employee received awards. Recipients included Airman 1st Class Megan Mills, Syracuse, CONR Junior Enlisted Airman of the Year.

A surveillance technician at the 224th Air Defense Squadron, Mills detected more than 860 potential threats during 22 Presidential support missions and played an instrumental role in Operation Allied Refuge, monitoring 14 flights to the U.S. from Afghanistan. An accomplished graphic artist, Mills designed an infographic for the Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sergeant's office and subsequently appeared on the Chief's leadership podcast.

The 224th Air Defense Group (ADG) is composed of the 224th Air Defense Squadron (ADS) and 224th Support Squadron (SPTS), located in Rome, and Detachment 1 and Detachment 2 that serve in the Washington, D.C. area. The 224th ADG provides the forces to conduct the Eastern Air Defense Sector's (EADS) mission. Part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Sector is responsible for the air defense of the eastern U.S.

For more information about the New York Air National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov. For more information on the Eastern Air Defense Sector and the 224th Air Defense Group, visit www.eads.ang.af.mil.