FLIGHT SAFETY NCO OF THE YEAR: MSGT CHARLES CLARK
92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, WA
By
MSgt Charles J. Clark, Flight Safety Superintendent of the 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, WA, has been named AMC’s Flight Safety Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 2020.
His nominator described him as an “unequaled” Flight Safety NCO whose superior leadership led to four years of safe operations with zero Class A or B mishaps. This led to the wing’s third Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Clark oversaw flight safety requirements for AMC’s largest operations group.
Incorporating seven Department of State personnel, Clark created Fairchild’s Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) training program. This program increased weapons safety and awareness of wildlife hazards on the airfield. He also coordinated with the United States Department of Agriculture to improve the wing’s BASH program.
Clark also averted disaster by training with local departments to halt a 240-acre fire or fence line breach. He evacuated 250 Survival Evasion Resistance Escape personnel with multi-agency support.
The year 2020 brought wildfires and COVID-19, and Clark responded to both. He administered the Wing Staff Agency Cyber Security Liaison account and coordinated the purchase of $24,000 of communication equipment, ensuring zero impact for safety during the pandemic. He helped lead flawless evacuations from the California wildfires, leading a bed-down of 18 aircraft and 68 personnel from Travis AFB, CA. This resulted in safeguarding $1.6 billion in Air Force assets.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Clark is working toward his master’s degree in Aviation Safety and has maintained a 4.0 GPA and earned 18 credit hours. His knowledge has directly improved the flight safety program.