The first annual Forrest S. McCartney National Defense Space Award was presented to Maj. Kenneth Holmes, Air Force Special Operations Command chief of space training, at the National Space Club luncheon Tuesday.
The award and recognizes significant contributions of Department of Defense personnel on duty in Florida and is newly named for a retired Air Force lieutenant general and former director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Major Holmes was selected for the award based on his ability to provide and integrate space capabilities to support in-garrison and deployed special operations forces world-wide. His contribution during his over 140-day deployment to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, as the Special Tactics Officer Chief and Space Officer In Charge for a Joint Task Force earned him praise as a leader and a technical expert.
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