OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- A member of Team Warhawk received the Air Force 2019 Outstanding Electronic Warfare Company Grade Officer of the Year (Level I).
Maj. James Maday earned this award for his work as an EC-130H Compass Call weapons officer and evaluator electronic warfare officer in the 755th Operations Support Squadron 55th Electronic Combat Group weapons and tactics office at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Maday forged six tactics proposals, addressed Department of Defense-wide electronic warfare shortfalls, and secured two of the top 10 Air Combat Command priorities. Mayday’s mindset is always on his team and leadership.
“The first feeling is gratitude,” Maday said. “I had an all-star team of 10 people and our commanders kept feeding us good work to do, and I am grateful to the team because none of our projects could have been done alone.”
Maday’s former unit commander, Lt. Col. Ryan Ellis, U.S. Air Force fellow with Project Everest and the Mitchell Institute, recognized Maday’s work ethics and principles that benefitted the squadron. No matter what task was in front of Maday, Ellis knew that he would finish it.
“Maday was my go-to weapons officer within the squadron and the group,” Ellis said. “He was my fire and forget company grade officer who always came through with poignant insights and executable solutions to whatever problem I tasked him with solving.”
Military service and leadership are in Maday’s blood. Each of his grandfathers and one of his great uncles served in the Air Force. One grandfather was an Army Air Force officer during WWII and the other enlisted and served overseas in the Korean War. Aside from his heritage, Mayday had his own reasons for wanting to start his own voyage in the military.
“Family was a large motivator, but I wanted to be an Air Force pilot since I started going to air shows, watching History Channel and following Operation Desert Storm at age five,” Maday said. “When Sept. 11, 2001, happened, I was more motivated than ever to serve in the military and bring the fight to the enemy.”
The award does not have Maday slowing down anytime soon.
“If I’m lucky enough to be a commander one day, my goal is to set up an assistant director of operations (ADO) or two to be the awards, decorations and performance report monsters of our unit,” Maday said. “As a future leader, I would make it my goal to find those quiet professionals who deserve recognition and get them out of their comfort zones.”