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944 SFS recognized for their global approach to teamwork

Tech. Sgt. Leah Taddei, 944th Security Forces combat arms training and maintenance instructor, directs Senior Airman Antonio Duarte, fire team member, as he fires the M240B Dec. 3 at the Army National Guard range in Florence, Ariz. Senior Airman Dominique Castillo, fire team member, guides and informs Duarte of the vicinity of his rounds. This was part of their yearly heavy weapons qualifications. (U.S. Air Force photo taken by Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega Jr.)

Tech. Sgt. Leah Taddei, 944th Security Forces combat arms training and maintenance instructor, directs Senior Airman Antonio Duarte, fire team member, as he fires the M240B Dec. 3 at the Army National Guard range in Florence, Ariz. Senior Airman Dominique Castillo, fire team member, guides and informs Duarte of the vicinity of his rounds. This was part of their yearly heavy weapons qualifications. (U.S. Air Force photo taken by Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega Jr.)

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Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Sutton, 944th Security Forces Squadron fire team member, directs fire team movements Sept. 9 during combat training at Camp Navajo, Arizona Army National Guard facility in Bellemont Arizona. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Barbara Plante)

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944th Security Forces Squadron fire team members work together to search for weapons Sept. 9 during combat training at Camp Navajo, Arizona Army National Guard facility in Bellemont Arizona. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Barbara Plante)

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The Airmen of the 944th Security Forces Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, were recently recognized as the Air Force Reserve Command Security Forces Squadron of 2016 following a year of diligent training and support to joint forces across the globe.

Ranging from filling in needed manpower positions to staying updated on weapons and combat training, the mission of the 944 SFS stays the same: to train and deploy as defenders of Air Force installations and personnel.

“I feel very humble about our unit receiving this award, but our success is due to the ingenuity, hard work, determination and leadership of the Airmen in this unit,” said Lt. Col. Amy Evans, 944 SFS commander. “This is an amazing group of professionals full of diversity and a wealth of experience in their fields, from our full time members, to our chief, to our technical sergeants pulling more than their own weight and leading our hardworking new and younger troops to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

Aside from monthly and annual required training and security duties within their unit, 944 SFS team members volunteered to fill the gaps in manpower in other countries across the world, as well as active duty needs at Luke AFB.

“It’s not just about making sure you’re ready to deploy,” said Evans. “It’s about being ready to step in to support your teammates and their family members, even if they are thousands of miles away. Our goal when we go on an assignment elsewhere is to eventually be invited back. We aim to be good guests who leave more than we take away and that work ethic is noticeable.”

While it takes the effort of each individual working together to succeed as a unit, according to Tech. Sgt. Alex Goreski, 944 SFS fire team member, said receiving this award emphasizes how essential teamwork is to the big picture.

“It’s amazing that out of all the Air Force Reserve tenant units out there, we get to call ourselves the best,” said Goreski. “Hitting a goal like this takes a group of individuals with the right attitudes and innovation each day, but what makes winning this type of award special is that this isn’t to applaud an individual and their singular efforts, this is a unit level award. The reason we’re here is because of the combined efforts of everyone in the 944 SFS to fulfill the mission of the unit and especially how that mission ties into the overall mission of the Air Force.”