Minot Air Guard family receives military ‘Family of the Year’ award

  • Published
  • By Capt Penny Ripperger
  • 119th Wing Public Affairs
Moorhead, Minn. --  The Minot-based 219th Security Forces Squadron attached to the 119th Wing, North Dakota Air National Guard once again proved that the 'best of the best' do come north as two members from the squadron receive the "2008 Family of the Year" award.

Tech.Sgt. Jason Augdahl and his wife, Tech.Sgt. Tanya Augdahl, received the prestigious award at the North Dakota Air National Guard's annual Outstanding Airman of the Year Banquet Saturday.

"We have over 1,000 members in the North Dakota Air Guard and each year only one family is chosen for this award. It's a great honor to receive this," said Jody Harms, 119th Wing Family Programs Coordinator.

"For this new squadron to already have two members receive such an impressive award speaks volumes about the quality of Airmen we have in the North Dakota Air National Guard, specifically in the 219th Security Forces Squadron, " said Col. Robert Becklund, 119th Wing Commander.

Jason is the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCO) and Tanya is the Recruiting and Retention NCO for the 219th SFS. The Augdahls were part of the cadre team to move from Fargo to Minot to support the new Air Guard squadron in September 2007.

In addition, the 219th SFS also had two 'Outstanding Airmen of the Year' nominees at the banquet. All airmen in the North Dakota Air National Guard are eligible, but only twelve airmen are nominated each year with three winners walking away with the title of 'Airmen of the Year,' 'NCO of the Year,' or 'Senior NCO of the Year.'

Staff Sgt. Matt Llewellyn was nominated for Airman of the Year and Staff Sgt. Jamie Frankl was nominated for NCO of the Year at the banquet this year.

Llewellyn works in information management and Frankl is a training instructor in the 219th SFS.

"There is no doubt that the 219th is successful because of the high caliber of Airmen we have in this squadron. For two Airmen of the 219th to receive 'Family of the Year' and two more Airmen to be nominated for 'Airmen of Year' is just another example of the exceptional Air Guard personnel that now live in Minot," said Lt.Col. Tad Schauer, 219th Security Forces Commander.

For more information about this press release, please contact Capt. Penny Ripperger, 119th Wing Public Affairs Officer at 701-451-2194.