Altus Air Force Base News

 

1st Lt. Colleen Leonard, Altus AFB JCGO of the Quarter

  • Published
  • By Justina Surles
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  1st Lt. Colleen Leonard is the Junior Company Grade Officer of the Quarter (Apr - Jun) 2010.

When asked what she credits her award to, she said, "I truly couldn't ask for better guys to work with. They go above and beyond everyday, so I work hard for them just to keep up. I have the most supportive family in the world and even though we're far away, they are so involved in my career it makes it easy to get through the tough days."

An impressive leader, Lieutenant Leonard did an outstanding job filling in as comptroller commander, leading a 15-person flight and keeping squadron and wing staff on track. She also guided the flight through a turbulent year; the flight had a 90 percent turnover and squadron operations never missed a beat. Lieutenant Leonard is credited with having one of the lowest Government Travel Card delinquency rates in Air Education and Training Command. Lieutenant Leonard worked to achieve a delinquency rate of 1.37 percent, smashing the Air Force standard of 2 percent, according to her nomination package.

Lieutenant Leonard processed $30,000 in Air Force Assistance Fund donations. She also developed a fitness tracker to track physical training testing for 77 wing staff agencies. Thanks to her efforts, 98 percent tested with 100 percent accountability within the wing staff. All these projects not only improved the base and the people on it, but also saved money.

"It's always encouraging to get recognized for your work and it's nice to win one for Finance!" Lieutenant Leonard answered when asked how this award would help her.

Lieutenant Leonard seeks to improve herself along with her base. During the quarter, she was ahead of schedule, accomplishing Kaplan University's Graduate Management Admission Test review course in preparation for a master's degree program. She conducted 15 hours of contingency training and deployed financial management disbursing operations training; passing this information and expertise to her subordinates, she prepared the 97th Comptroller Squadron for the Air Expeditionary Force. She attended two Top 3 "Lunch and Learn" seminars, and applied that knowledge to unit programs.

Lieutenant Leonard is involved with her base and community as well. She coordinated lodging and transportation for 184 air show aircrews and guests. The Thunderbirds raved "Outstanding support!" about her work. She was the treasurer for the unit activity committee, which raised $1700 for squadron morale and served as the wing Combined Federal Campaign representative. She also showed selflessness by running and sponsoring the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Marathon, raising $1,000 for "Education Against Violence," and organized a nine-man military "Relay for Life" team. She personally raised $200 while the team contributions totaled $2,000.

Lieutenant Leonard's answer to what she would recommend to others who want similar recognition was "Trust your people and be willing to work hard."

Lieutenant Leonard graduated high school from Landmark Christian School in Fairburn, Ga, where she still has family. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

When asked what she wants people to know about the award she answered, "Finance isn't all bad!"