Last Friday, MDAA hosted our 75th Defender of the Year (DOY) at Joint Base Andrews and NCR MDOY recognizing the best missile defenders of this past year in their noble mission of the defense of our nation’s Capital and Region. We honored 20 of the best of the best leaders from our National Guard and across our joint force of the US Army and USAF in this noble joint mission.
“In 2001 we got hit by cruise missiles right here. That’s why you’re born, that’s why the Noble Eagle Mission was born, because what happened in 2001… and our nation decided we could not live in an ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) world and we broke out of the treaty and we created the Missile Defense Agency, NORTHCOM, our first ground base missile defense system that defended all 50 states and we created the Air and Cruise Missile Defense system of the National Capital Region. Your Mission. We are grateful as a Nation for your excellence in leadership and proficiency in keeping America Safe.”
– MDAA Founder Mr. Riki Ellison, May 31st, 2024, Joint Airforce Base Andrews, MD.
Defense Wins World Championships, and here are our Nation’s 2024 NCR World Champion Missile Defenders:
Group 1: ADA Support Personnel
SSG Jose Galvan
SGT Abraham Peediakal
SGT Angel Rojas
SPC Ethan Gutierrez
Group 2: ADA JADOC Floor Personnel
1LT Michael Powell
1LT Jack Vantress
SSG Sidney Hacker
SPC Adrianna Santellanes-Cortina
SPC Austin Hatcher
Group 3: ADA Airforce Personnel
MSgt Kendrick Wilburn
Group 4: ADA Top NASAMS Team Personnel
SSG Brayden Beam
SPC Braden Rogers
SPC Ashley Grooms
Group 5: ADA Avenger Team Personnel
SSG Joshua Patch
SGT Derek Sortor
SPC John Muthig
Group 6: ADA 1-174 ADA BN Officer of the Year
MAJ Abby Schroll
Group 7: ADA Civilian of the Year
Mr. Robert Campbell
Group 8: ADA JADOC Officer of the Year
LTC Bryan Tillirson
Winners associate with Winners to Win!
We thank our NCR Leaders of this Mission Set for being with us and leading-
Major General Frank M. Rice, Commander, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), Major General Darrin E. Slaten, Director of Strategy, Plans and International Affairs, National Guard Bureau J5, Major General (Ret.) David “Oscar” Meyer, Former Assistant Deputy of Chief of Staff, Operations, USAF HQ, and (ret) Major General Charles “Corky” Corcoran Deputy Commander of USAF operations J3.
“I know you don’t have the best generation of NASAMS, and it’s it’s unbelievable and we’re fighting for you to get the best stuff. You should have the best stuff here, but regardless of what stuff you’ve got you play with, what you got is people you got is leadership. And you got courage, you got grit and you got trust and that’s why we’re going to win”
– MDAA Founder Mr. Riki Ellison, May 31st, 2024, Joint Airforce Base Andrews, MD.
