MONROE - Darlington native, Tech. Sgt. Tammy Shaw, 25, is in special company.
Stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, Shaw was named one of the Air Force's 12 most Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2007.
Shaw, a laboratory technician at Wright-Patterson Medical Center, was selected based on her superior leadership, job performance and personal achievements, including community involvement.
"I don't see what all the fuss is about," Shaw said, during a phone interview Wednesday.
Shaw credits her parents and Wisconsin background work ethics for her accomplishments, and fostering her volunteerism.
Shaw said "the whole community steps up" in Darlington.
"I think it's so funny. I run into people from Wisconsin all the time, and we get to talking about volunteer stuff," Shaw said. "People from Wisconsin really get involved."
Shaw said she recently reunited with an old high school friend now serving at the same Air Force base. They lost touch after graduation, but met again during a volunteer project picking up trash in road ditches.
"Maybe it's their attitude, but there's something extra in people from Wisconsin," Shaw said.
That "extra something" has had Shaw working with college science fairs and Airmen Against Drunk Driving, donating 135 hours to Habitat for Humanity, donating 10 hours each month for Project Linus to knit blankets for cancer-stricken children and recruiting 117 volunteer hours for Relay for Life cancer charity.
That extra something helped, too, when Shaw sought to collect stuffed animals for Iraqi children in the hospital, recalled her father David Raymond, Belmont.
"A young Iraqi girl came in hanging on to a dirty old towel. Someone tried to take it away from her, but they were told, 'no, that's her dolly,'" he said.
Shaw's third-grade teacher, Jackie Burgeson, picked up on the idea and had a class project to help Shaw collect "thousands and thousands" of stuffed animals, Raymond said.
Shaw also recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in health sciences carrying a 4.0 average. She also holds a Community College of the Air Force degree and is a nationally-certified lab technician.
Being named an Outstanding Airmen of the Year is "kind of surprising," Shaw said. "I don't see I've done anything."
She credits her leaders, peers and the Airmen working for her.
Shaw has been honored as the Air Force Laboratory Technician of the Year, Air Force Materiel Command's 2007 Lab Technician and Aeronautical Systems Center's NCO of the Year and the Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 751 NCO of the Year, with only eight years in the military.
"It's just being in the right place at the right time," she said. "And I have a great husband, and a great family. "
Shaw is married to David. They have a son, Logan, 5, and Shaw is due to have baby girl.
"Being a mom is the most difficult job. ... We all aim to be good role models for our children, don't we?" she said.
The 33 nominees are authorized to wear the Outstanding Airman of the Year ribbon, while the 12 winners will wear the bronze service star on the ribbon. The winners also will wear the Outstanding Airman of the Year Badge for one year from the date of formal presentation.
They also are afforded the opportunity to serve on the Air Force Enlisted Advisory Council, which can influence policy changes. Shaw looks forward to "changing some little things," during her service on the council.
The Air Force Association will honor the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year during its Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 16-18 in Washington, D.C.
Stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, Shaw was named one of the Air Force's 12 most Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2007.
Shaw, a laboratory technician at Wright-Patterson Medical Center, was selected based on her superior leadership, job performance and personal achievements, including community involvement.
"I don't see what all the fuss is about," Shaw said, during a phone interview Wednesday.
Shaw credits her parents and Wisconsin background work ethics for her accomplishments, and fostering her volunteerism.
Shaw said "the whole community steps up" in Darlington.
"I think it's so funny. I run into people from Wisconsin all the time, and we get to talking about volunteer stuff," Shaw said. "People from Wisconsin really get involved."
Shaw said she recently reunited with an old high school friend now serving at the same Air Force base. They lost touch after graduation, but met again during a volunteer project picking up trash in road ditches.
"Maybe it's their attitude, but there's something extra in people from Wisconsin," Shaw said.
That "extra something" has had Shaw working with college science fairs and Airmen Against Drunk Driving, donating 135 hours to Habitat for Humanity, donating 10 hours each month for Project Linus to knit blankets for cancer-stricken children and recruiting 117 volunteer hours for Relay for Life cancer charity.
That extra something helped, too, when Shaw sought to collect stuffed animals for Iraqi children in the hospital, recalled her father David Raymond, Belmont.
"A young Iraqi girl came in hanging on to a dirty old towel. Someone tried to take it away from her, but they were told, 'no, that's her dolly,'" he said.
Shaw's third-grade teacher, Jackie Burgeson, picked up on the idea and had a class project to help Shaw collect "thousands and thousands" of stuffed animals, Raymond said.
Shaw also recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in health sciences carrying a 4.0 average. She also holds a Community College of the Air Force degree and is a nationally-certified lab technician.
Being named an Outstanding Airmen of the Year is "kind of surprising," Shaw said. "I don't see I've done anything."
She credits her leaders, peers and the Airmen working for her.
Shaw has been honored as the Air Force Laboratory Technician of the Year, Air Force Materiel Command's 2007 Lab Technician and Aeronautical Systems Center's NCO of the Year and the Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 751 NCO of the Year, with only eight years in the military.
"It's just being in the right place at the right time," she said. "And I have a great husband, and a great family. "
Shaw is married to David. They have a son, Logan, 5, and Shaw is due to have baby girl.
"Being a mom is the most difficult job. ... We all aim to be good role models for our children, don't we?" she said.
The 33 nominees are authorized to wear the Outstanding Airman of the Year ribbon, while the 12 winners will wear the bronze service star on the ribbon. The winners also will wear the Outstanding Airman of the Year Badge for one year from the date of formal presentation.
They also are afforded the opportunity to serve on the Air Force Enlisted Advisory Council, which can influence policy changes. Shaw looks forward to "changing some little things," during her service on the council.
The Air Force Association will honor the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year during its Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 16-18 in Washington, D.C.