Maine’s ‘Outstanding Airman of the Year’ hails from Windham

AUGUSTA – The Maine Air National Guard hosted the 2023 Outstanding Airman ceremony to recognize Maine soldiers and airmen who have distinguished themselves in their fields on Sunday, June 4 and a Windham airman was honored as the state’s top airmen for the year at the event.

Major General Douglas Farnham, Maine's Adjutant General,
left, presents the 2023 Maine Air National Guard's
'Outstanding Airman of the Year' award to Senior Airman
Matthew Hamel of the 265th Combat Communications
Squadron. Hamel is from Windham and is a 2018 of
Windham High School. SUBMITTED PHOTO
 

"All of you are here because you set the example for others to follow," said Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, Maine's adjutant general, to assembled family, friends, and coworkers. "I think we can all agree we live in an increasingly complex world, one where we have to consistently be ready for how we might be called into service next. Your commitment to self-improvement, personal and unit readiness, and living the Army and Air Force values not only speaks volumes to others in uniform, it makes all of us that much more ready to face the next challenge. Thank you all for that and thank you to all the families we have here supporting you. Family plays an enormous role in our organizational success."

Each service component has its own standards for selecting the award recipients.

The Outstanding Airman of the Year program calls for each state's headquarters to select nominees in three categories: Airman, Non-Commissioned Officer, and Senior Non-Commissioned Officer. Nominees for First Sergeant of the Year and Honor Guard Member of the Year are also submitted for their respective categories. Additionally, the Maine Air National Guard selects and recognizes a Company Grade Officer of the Year.

All candidates are rated on their performance for the previous calendar year in the following areas: leadership, job performance, fitness, education, community service, and civilian employment.

Following the formal award presentations, all winners also received a command coin from Brig. Gen. Frank Roy, commander of the Maine Air National Guard.

Senior Airman Matthew Hamel of the 265th Combat Communications Squadron was the recipient of the Maine Air National Guard’s 2023 Outstanding Airman of the Year award.

Hamel is from Windham and is deployed to Headquarters, United States Air Forces Europe and Africa Command, based at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, working in the satellite communication operations office. Over the past year, Hamel; supported 38 gateway access requests and 54 super high frequency satellite access requests, providing communications to North Atlantic Treaty Organization response forces deterring Russian aggression in support of the European Defense Initiative.

He is a 2018 graduate of Windham High School. <