Kaiserslautern, Germany – April 20, 2015 — Six NATO military service members were presented with MDAA’s 2015 European Defender of the Year awards last Friday evening April 17 in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The award is given to North Atlantic Treaty Organization service members that have made significant contributions to missile defense over the past year.
The six selected individuals come from four NATO countries and represent the best in leadership and personal effort, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and their critical role in missile defense in the protection of Europe. The event coincides with the 66th anniversary of the founding of NATO on April 4, 1949.
In a statement today, MDAA Chairman Riki Ellison said that the six winners from the Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States “have led exceptional teams and reflect that excellence in providing readiness, deterrence and defense in an ever more complex and challenging theater of operations.” Ellison cited short-range ballistic missiles from Russia, Syria, and longer-ranged missiles from Iran as the chief ballistic missile threats facing Europe.
Our 2015 European Defenders of the Year are:
Lieutenant Colonel Eric Lazenby
U.S. Air Force
Chief, Defensive Operations, Combat Operations Division 603rd Air and Space Operations Center
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Lieutenant Colonel Marco de Massari
Italian Air Force
BMD Planning Officer, NATO BMD Operations Centre, Ramstein Air Base
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Chief Warrant Officer 3 Wesley M. Dohogn
U.S. Army
Air Defense Integrator, HHB, 10th AAMDC
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Captain Heiko Precht
German Army
Battle Management Supervisor, S3 Plans Officer
Air Missile Defense Wing 1, German Air Force
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Lieutenant Lisa Bydairk
U.S. Navy
Integrated Air and Missile Defense Officer
U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa & Sixth Fleet
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Sergeant First Class Sabrina van den Goorbergh
Netherlands Air Force
Tactical Control Reporting Assistant
802 Squadron, Firing Unit 2, Crew 1
European Defenders of the Year (wearing medals from left to right) Cpt. Heiko Precht, Sgt. 1st Class Sabrina van den Goorbergh, Lt Col Marco De Massari, Lt Col Eric Lazenby, U.S. Air Force, LT Lisa Bydairk, CW3 Wesley Dohogn
Read MDAA’s Full Report on the 2015 European Missile Defender of the Year. To present these awards, MDAA has the distinct privilege to host Major General Charles Brown (USAF), Command Sergeant Major Rodney Rhoades (USA), Rear Admiral Thomas Reck(USN, Brigadier General Thomas Gould (USAF), Brigadier General Gschoßmann (German Air Force), and Lieutenant Colonel N.J. Vredegoor (Netherlands Air Force).
