116th Civil Engineer Superintendent wins Chief Master Sgt. Larry R. Daniels award at NGB level

  • Published
  • By Barry Bena
  • 116th Air Control Wing
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Senior Master Sgt. Danny Barber, the operations superintendent with the 116th Civil Engineer Squadron, Georgia Air National Guard, recently earned the Air Force’s Chief Master Sgt. Larry R. Daniels Award for superior service at the National Guard Bureau level.

The award, formerly known as the Civil Engineering Military Superintendent of the Year Award, was named in 2002 after Chief Master Sgt. Larry R. Daniels, the first Chief of Enlisted Matters to the Air Force Civil Engineer. It is awarded for superior service and exemplary job performance to senior noncommissioned officers serving as a civil engineering superintendent. Categories evaluated include job performance, management ability, technical competence, and innovation.

“When it came time to identify and recognize a member for the Chief Master Sgt. Larry R. Daniels award, Senior Master Sgt. Barber was the unanimous choice,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joel Furlough, 116th CES senior enlisted leader.

In addition to managing the day-to-day tasks of multiple work centers within the 116th CES, Barber supervised more than 100 active duty, National Guard, and reserve Airmen in eight work centers during a nearly seven-month deployment to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of operations.

“I attribute winning this award to exactly how I look at a deployment for Guard guys, and that’s to make the absolute best of it,” said Barber. “Find ways to stay engaged, find different things to do, push yourself both professionally and personally.”

During his deployment, Barber embodied this philosophy creating a professional mentorship program that paired 14 junior NCO’s and high performing Airmen with senior NCO’s for mentoring during the duration of their deployment.

“His scope of work while serving as the chief of operations at AFCENT for a six-month deployment, coupled with his contributions and oversight of National Guardsmen throughout the workweek and during unit training assemblies, warranted his recognition as an outstanding military superintendent,” said Furlough.

Barber started his military career in the Marine Corps in 1996. In 2002, he joined the Georgia Air National Guard and served with the 283rd Combat Communications Squadron at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. Barber then transferred to the 116th CES where he has been for the past six years.

“When I came to [civil engineering] it was in power production, like working on generators,” said Barber. “When I was looking for career choices that would translate to the civilian world, it seemed like a good fit for me. It worked out and turned into a career with Caterpillar.”

“I like the versatility of being in [civil engineering] and being able to learn a trade, but mostly the people,” said Barber. “I enjoy CE people and their thought processes.”

After winning the award at the National Guard Bureau level, Barber will now compete at the Headquarters Air Force level against approximately eight superintendents from other Air Force major commands.