Search News

Cannon News

Cannon Airmen awarded CCAF degrees

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Whitney Tucker
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Dozens of Air Commandos from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., received their Community College of the Air Force degrees in a commencement ceremony at The Landing Zone, Nov. 8, 2012.

The CCAF is a federally-chartered, degree-granting institution that serves the United States Air Force's enlisted total force. The CCAF offers enlisted Airmen the opportunity to earn an associate of applied science degree or a professional certification in one of several fields of study.

"It is amazing when we sit back and think about our United States Air Force," said Col. Craig Walker, 27th Special Operations Wing vice commander. "If you look at other military services around the world, they can't compete. We are the best, but why is that? Is it because we have F-22s and fancy gunships? No, it's our people."

"The current ratio of officer to enlisted Airmen in our Air Force is one to five," he continued. "Why is that? Because we trust them, we empower them and we ask them to learn and better themselves."

Airmen who opt to pursue a CCAF degree are automatically enrolled in an academic program related to their career field following completion of their first technical school. There are 65 associates' degrees in five broad areas of study: Aircraft and Missile Maintenance, Allied Health, Electronics and Telecommunications, Logistics and Resources and Public and Support Services.

Students must complete 64 semester credit hours in technical requirement, physical education, leadership and military studies, general education and program electives. The courses can be achieved through Air Force-taught accredited technical courses, transferred credit from civilian college courses and college-level examinations. There are 99 schools in 37 states, and nine foreign locations affiliated with the CCAF-degree program.

"This year to date, 18,500 degrees have been conferred by the CCAF," Walker said. "That's a great number, but there's a better number and you might not pick up on it right away. The CCAF had 147,000 requests for transcripts in 2011. That means that when our Airmen are done with the CCAF they are not stopping. They go on to achieve bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and PhD's. It is a lifelong journey of learning and I just want to say, don't stop now."

The following is a complete list of Cannon's Fall 2012 CCAF graduates.

· Staff Sgt. Jonna Adams
· Tech. Sgt. George Albers
· Staff Sgt. Jenna Archuleta
· Airman 1st Class Andrew Athanasiadis
· Staff Sgt. Edelyn Avellanosa
· Staff Sgt. Xochiquetzal Bladwin
· Tech. Sgt. Jacob Balik
· Master Sgt. Cynthia Bernard
· Staff Sgt. Angela Benkart
· Senior Airman Kaylee Bledsoe
· Staff Sgt. Shawn Boden
· Master Sgt. Adam Bolen
· Tech. Sgt. Casey Boone
· Master Sgt. Jennifer Bruening
· Staff Sgt. James Burton
· Tech. Sgt. Timothy Carson
· Staff Sgt. Bobby Case
· Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Cheatham
· Staff Sgt. Douglas Chester
· Master Sgt. Jesse Childress
· Tech. Sgt. Rich Clawson
· Tech. Sgt. Shawn Cochran
· Tech. Sgt. Matthew Colbert
· Staff Sgt. William Cone
· Staff Sgt. Eric Crider
· Staff Sgt. Daniel Crumb
· Staff Sgt. Ray De la Rosa
· Senior Airman Daniel Dodson
· Senior Airman Marymae Domingo
· Tech. Sgt. Michael Eberhart
· Tech. Sgt. Raymond Ebert
· Tech. Sgt. David Emington
· Staff. Sgt. Sandra Gold
· Master Sgt. Patrick Francis
· Senior Airman Kevin Galbavy
· Master Sgt. Maria Garcia
· Tech. Sgt. Rickey Garcia
· Staff Sgt. Jonathan Garrett
· Master Sgt. Patrick Goodwin
· Staff Sgt. Fernando Gutierrez
· Master Sgt. Jorge Gutierrez
· Staff Sgt. Alan Hailey
· Master Sgt. Romona Hammer
· Staff Sgt. Ivana Hernandez
· Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Hetrick
· Tech. Sgt. Refugio Honorato
· Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Hook
· Tech. Sgt. Kenya Howard
· Staff Sgt. Timothy Johnson
· Staff Sgt. Brian Kadrovach
· Staff Sgt. Justin Lederman
· Senior Airman Sara Lemming
· Master Sgt. Chandra Lewis
· Master Sgt. Bradley Littlefield
· Senior Airman Gabriel Mannix
· Tech. Sgt. Kelly Mason
· Staff Sgt. Royce Massey
· Staff Sgt. Mary McDermott
· Tech. Sgt. Joseph Merrill
· Senior Airman William Milliere
· Staff Sgt. Jonathan Mittendorf
· Master Sgt. Shanda Moon
· Staff Sgt. William Morris
· Master Sgt. Justin Morrison
· Staff Sgt. Robert Nuccio
· Staff Sgt. David Nunez
· Staff Sgt. Timothy Ogburn
· Staff Sgt. David Olson
· Tech. Sgt. Brad Osten
· Staff Sgt. Shanna Pacheco
· Tech. Sgt. Jedidiah Payne
· Master Sgt. Worth Peterson
· Senior Airman Adam Phelan
· Staff Sgt. Jose Plasencia
· Staff Sgt. Wesley Poppel
· Master Sgt. Eugenia Rigsbee
· Staff Sgt. Andrew Rivera
· Master Sgt. Justice Rogers
· Staff Sgt. Thomas Ryan
· Staff Sgt. Avery Ryans
· Staff Sgt. Jolene Saldivar
· Staff Sgt. Cherie Anne San Pedro
· Staff Sgt. Ashley Schaedel
· Master Sgt. Gregory Schaffran
· Master Sgt. Bilse Schopfer
· Staff. Sgt. Robert Shavers
· Staff Sgt. Shealyn Storm
· Tech. Sgt. Paul Streavel
· Staff Sgt. Lance Stultz
· Tech. Sgt. Tyrone Thompson
· Tech. Sgt. Caleb Thorne
· Master Sgt. Adam Turbeville
· Staff Sgt. Michael Turner
· Senior Airman John Valdron
· Tech. Sgt. Thomas Valenzuela
· Staff Sgt. Joseph Vondohlen
· Staff Sgt. Biquiana Waller
· Tech. Sgt. Michael Weller
· Staff Sgt. Darren Willis
· Master Sgt. Lacretia Wiseman

Press Releases