Elmendorf commander, wife win AF award for service

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Airmen stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson can now say they were led by the best wing commander and spouse team in the Air Force for 2010.

The Air Force Personnel Center announced Wednesday that Brig. Gen. Thomas Bergeson, 3rd Wing commander, and his wife, Pam, are the 2010 winners of the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. The award recognizes a commander-spouse team who exemplify the highest ideals of positive leadership by a military couple serving in a key Air Force position, providing service to the local community, Air Force and the nation.

The Air Force chief of staff will present the award at a ceremony Sept. 22 at the Pentagon.

"I'm very proud of Pam. As for me, I was just doing the mission I was given to do as best as I could," said General Bergeson. "Pam has been a terrific partner in this wing command, and she sees the world through a different lens than I do. Leadership of a wing is a team endeavor. At the end of the day the most important leadership tool you have is the example you set."

Both the general and his wife--who is also a reserve lieutenant colonel with the 477th Fighter Group at Elmendorf--said they were extremely humbled by this recognition and felt there were many command teams in the Air Force equally worthy of the honor.

While packing household items last weekend in preparation to move to their next duty station, the couple received two phone calls. Both Gen. Gary North, the Pacific Air Forces commander, and Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, Alaskan Command commander, contacted the Bergesons to congratulate them on their recognition.

"We are all very proud of Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Bergeson," said General North. "Their collective leadership both as husband and wife, and commander and spouse have been extremely instrumental to the Fort Richardson-Elmendorf community. Their selection as our Air Force's 2010 Gen. and Mrs. O'Malley award winners validates their exceptional team leadership and the impact they have had in the joint community arena. Everyone shares in the congratulations to the Bergeson family for their recognition as the 'best wing commander and spouse team in our Air Force for 2010.'"

"I've had the personal honor to observe, first hand, the leadership of Brig. Gen. Bergeson and his wife Pam over the past two years," said General Atkins. "The numerous awards and recognition garnered by Airmen assigned to Elmendorf AFB, along with the recent recognition of the CINC Installation Excellence award, reflects the outstanding contributions of this husband and wife team, and highlights the positive influence they have had on our Airmen and their families. When I think of Tom and Pam, I think of compassion and competency."

The award nomination for the Burgesons cited their leadership and care of more than 6,000 Airmen and their families. The active duty, Guard and Reserve team of Airmen at Elmendorf flew 11,000 accident-free sorties, intercepted 11 Russian bombers with F-22s, dropped 16,000 Army paratroopers from C-17s and treated 238,000 patient cases. The base also deployed 2,262 Airmen in support of operations around the world, earned an excellent ORI rating, and won 155 Air Force and major command level awards.

"Elmendorf is simply outstanding and that fact doesn't have anything to do with Tom and me. It has everything to do with our great Arctic Warrior Airmen and families," said Mrs. Bergeson.