Air War College Distance Learning Program honors top student

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Bryan A. Holt
  • Air War College
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  An Airman from the 9th Special Operations Squadron was recognized as the Air War College's top Distance Learning Program graduate for 2007 at a special award ceremony here Aug. 4. 

Lt. Col. John D. Cline, 9th SOS operations officer, received Academic Excellence Award, which is presented each calendar year to the distance learning student with the highest academic grade average. The student is invited to attend the National Security Forum and participate in the overall resident program graduation exercises, which take place in May at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 

However, because Colonel Cline was serving as the deployed commander of the 9th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in May, he was unable to attend the ceremony and accept his award. 

He was formally recognized Aug. 4 for his achievement at a ceremony attended by Col. Stephen Visco, dean of the AWC Distance Learning program at Maxwell AFB. 

"It's truly remarkable to have such an operationally-engaged warfighter complete the Air War College program as the top graduate," said Colonel Visco. "Looking at all the work it takes to complete the program, I especially respect and admire the students who make amazing sacrifices to complete this challenging course while performing their wartime missions."
 
Colonel Cline was one of 3,262 students who completed the AWC Distance Learning Program in 2007. AWC reviewed the academic records of its Distance Learning Program graduates, and only 47 completed the program with an overall grade of "Outstanding." Of this exceptional group, Colonel Cline had the top overall grade average of 93.8 percent.

At the ceremony, Col. Brad Webb, 1st Special Operations Wing commander, presented Colonel Cline with a model of the Wright Flyer, an award which resembles the monument on Maxwell AFB's Chennault Circle that commemorates the Wright Brothers' Aviation Training School, established in Montgomery in 1910. 

"This award is the Levitow Award of distance learning for the officers," Colonel Webb said . "It's a great example of the importance Air Commandos place in professional military education." 

After his special recognition, Colonel Cline expressed his surprise and honor of earning this prestigious award. 

"It's a great honor to receive this award, especially on behalf of my fellow deployed service members," he said. "I know first-hand how difficult it is to balance the demands of professional military education with the demands of serving in a high operation tempo unit. The AWC program struck a great balance between broad leadership theory and scenario-driven leadership application, and armed me with some very practical leadership concepts and techniques that I have already employed leading a combat flying unit."