Okinawa, Japan / November 30, 2018

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance held its sixth annual Okinawa Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony in Okinawa, Japan on Friday, November 30, 2018. The event honored missile defenders from the U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, U.S. Air Force 623rd Air Control Squadron, U.S. Marine Corps Air Control Squadron 4, Japan Air Self-Defense Force 5th Air Defense Missile Group, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment.

2018 Okinawa Missile Defenders of the Year:

15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)

SFC Meidai Hashinoto (HQ & Service Company)
SFC Satoshi Ogawa (1st Company)
SGT Tyo Tamanaha (2nd Company)
SGT Hiroyuki Hanashiro (3rd Company)
SGT Natsuki Shirota (4th Company)
SFC Daiki Horii (Radio Company)

5th Air Defense Missile Group

TSgt Shigeki Nakatamri (Equipment Mechanic)
TSgt Akihiro Kammura (Equipment Mechanic)
TSgt Kunihito Iwabuchi (Equipment Mechanic)
TSgt Kazunobu Sonoda (Missile Operator)
SSgt Shun Kato (Electrician)
SSgt Tatsunori Watari (Electrician)

623rd Air Control Squadron (USAF)

TSgt Alan Tenney (Data Link Manager)
SrA Christopher Tucker (Data Link Manager)

Marine Corps Air Control Squadron 4 (USMC)

Sgt Miguel Barraza (Air Intercept Controller)
Sgt Jonathan Burgos (Aviation Radar Technician)

1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery

(Information Coordination Central)
1LT William Heida
SGT Zachary Hollis
SPC Theophilus Miller

(Tactical Control Station)
SGT Charles Nimmo
SPC Rajaad Howell

(Bravo Battery Engagement Control Station)
2LT Ivan Mobley
SPC Cody Blanton
PFC Sincere Gilbert

(Bravo Battery Command Post)
SGT Anthony Colon
SGT Christopher Tarr  

(Alpha Battery Missile Reload)
SGT Andrew Franco
SPC Devon Willis-McKay
SPC Jeff Gomez
SPC Zachary Shanan
PFC Scarlet Mendoza

(Bravo Battery Maintenance)
SPC Patrick Torres