Youth honored with congressional awards

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ken Scholz
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Twenty-three students from the Bellevue/Offutt community were recognized at the Bellevue Welcome Center May 7 during the 2010 Congressional Award Ceremony.

Kevin Rohlfs, Bellevue West High School principal, presided over the event and noted that the Air Force began supporting the award program in 2000 as a way to recognize the outstanding achievements of the family members of Airmen.

Dr. John Deegan, Bellevue Public Schools superintendent, Brig. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan, 55th Wing commander and Rep. Lee Terry all spoke at the ceremony and handed out medals and certificates to the award winners.

"What you started today will serve you very well the rest of your lives," said General Shanahan, addressing the award winners, four of which were from military families here.

The youth honored during the ceremony contributed their efforts to many different projects including volunteering at local food pantries, participating in Boy Scouts, navigating white water rapids and even ballroom dancing.

General Shanahan compared the Congressional Award's values of initiative, service and achievement to those of the Air Force's Core Values. "Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do -- those are the very ideals you are living up to."

The legislation for the award was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 as The Congressional Award Act and is based on the values of responsibility, citizenship and leadership. Congressman Terry said that leadership is giving to others.

"A leader gives of themselves to make sure everyone else succeeds and that's what you're doing," the congressman said.

Tonni Blount, the daughter of Anthony and Claudette Blount, of Bellevue, was the single recipient of the gold medal this year, which makes her one of a select few to receive the honor. In 2009, 266 young adults received the gold medal nationwide.

Ms. Blount is a senior at Bellevue West High School where she's a member of the Congressional Award Club, National Honor Society, Senior Senate and varsity soccer.

"This program made us better, stronger people," Ms. Blount said, as she addressed her fellow award recipients.

The Congressional Awards are divided into bronze, silver and gold certificates and medals. Each level of achievement requires a certain amount of hours spent in the categories of volunteering, personal development, physical fitness and expedition or exploration. A gold medal recipient, like Ms. Blount, must spend several hundred hours in each category.