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Offutt NCO receives top level safety award

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An Offutt senior NCO was recently recognized as the Air Force’s 2016 Safety Professional of the Year.

Master Sgt. Roger Scott, who is the superintendent of the wing safety office, received the award for his contributions to safety programs in support of Offutt and multiple locations in the Middle East area of operation where he was deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

“Master Sgt. Scott far exceeds the criteria of the award,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Prue, 55th Wing chief of safety. “He selflessly strived to ensure the safety of every member of Team Offutt and our warriors downrange.”

During his deployment, Scott stood up a bare-base joint occupational safety program with three coalition partners and 10 other organizations that contributed to the safety of 2,500 personnel. He also identified multiple safety threats and mitigated them by establishing safety and training programs from the ground up.

At Offutt, Scott oversaw the 55th Wing safety training program that helped educate more than 1,300 members annually while reducing safety mishaps by 33 percent across the base.

Additionally, he led a 10-member mishap prevention team in support of the 2016 air show, coordinated a wing safety day, and managed multiple safety programs to include occupational, motorcycle and hazardous materials.

“Master Sgt. Scott's leadership and relentless commitment to safety were key to the overall success that Offutt has had,” said Senior Master Sgt. Russell Sigmon, the previous wing safety superintendent who nominated Scott for the award.

 Scott said he was surprised to receive the award and credited his team for helping him win it.

“This type of award is not won by one person alone,” he said. “It takes a hardworking and dedicated team and I am grateful for the Airmen that I work with.”

 Scott previously worked in security forces before cross training into the safety career field three years ago. He has been a member of the Air Force for 13 years and said he enjoys serving.

 “I love my job,” he said. “The best thing is being able to interact with every other (career field) in the Air Force and learn what they do as I go through my inspection process. It would be hard to convince me there is another profession out there that brings people together and builds camaraderie like the Air Force does.”