SNCO's selfless leadership earns Sijan Award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  A vehicle operations superintendent from the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron received the Lance P. Sijan Award in a ceremony in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes April 21.

Senior Master Sgt. Jesse Schraner, 1st SOLRS deployments and distribution superintendent, was the senior enlisted recipient of the annual award given to four Airmen who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities both in and out of uniform.

"No one wins an award all on their own," Sergeant Schraner said. "No mission is successful because of one person. It succeeds because of the contributions of a whole team of people who make it happen so well."

Sergeant Schraner served as the detachment first sergeant and operations superintendent for the Joint Tactical Logistics Force 28, 4th Sustainment Brigade in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom April 24 to Nov. 1, 2008.

During his time, he led 223 convoy missions carrying more than 300,000 tons of war-making and life-sustaining material to approximately 100,000 warfighters. Under his hands-on leadership, there were no Airmen killed or wounded, despite 17 small arms insurgent attacks.

"The Airmen performing the mission in Iraq are some of the most dedicated and mission-focused Airmen I have ever worked with," he said. "Many have served multiple, six-month tours serving alongside our Army brethren. They epitomize the core value of service before self."

While there's a lot of administrative work that comes with being a first sergeant, Sergeant Schraner also went on eight convoy missions totaling 8,173 miles from Kuwait to Mosul, Iraq.

"I liked to spend as much time on the road as I could," he said. "I like being out there with the same guys who we asked to go where the mission was. Each time they rolled outside the wire to face uncertain dangers they shouted our chant, 'Scorpions, gear up and roll out!'"

Sergeant Schraner said the success of the mission in Iraq was truly a team effort by Airmen from the vehicle maintenance, supply, intelligence, combat arms, personnel and communications career fields.

"To me, a leader's success is measured by the success of the people that he leads," he said. "There is nothing more rewarding to me than seeing my Airmen receive recognition, get decorations pinned on their chests or hear their names called out at quarterly or annual awards ceremonies. It's a great feeling and a huge motivator to work with them."

Sergeant Schraner was in Haiti as a part of the humanitarian relief mission when the Air Force announced the Sijan Award decision Jan. 21. At the Pentagon ceremony, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz served as host and speaker while Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster, Air Force Special Operations Command commander, and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy were in attendance.

As he marks the 20th year of his Air Force career this June, Sergeant Schraner said he felt truly honored to stand for all the vehicle operators across the Air Force who do much more than just "drive buses."

"I don't view this as a personal award at all, but as an opportunity to represent the men and women of the vehicle operations career field both past and present who have performed combat convoy missions."

The Lance P. Sijan award was first given in 1981. It was named in honor of the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. Captain Sijan was shot down over Vietnam on Nov. 9, 1967, and evaded capture for 45 days despite severe injuries. He later died while in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroism.