HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Terry McDade, an engineering technician in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex’s 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group, received a SourceAmerica national achievement award at an awards conference in Anaheim, California, on May 24.
McDade won the Honor Roll for Veterans Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by veterans with disabilities. He was selected for his work ethic, skillset and dedication, as well as his advocacy work in suicide prevention and encouraging veterans to seek help for PTSD.
“To be selected to receive this award is quite an honor,” McDade said. “There are a lot of veterans who are doing great work, so when I was told I was being nominated I didn’t think I had a chance.”
McDade served in the Marine Corps from 1967-1971 and later the Reserves as well as the Utah National Guard. Upon returning from two tours of duty as a helicopter gunner in the Vietnam War, he began working in the OO-ALC maintaining and repairing aircraft. He then went on to a career in law enforcement as well as other crafts but returned to the base in 2019. He works as a contractor, employed by the Beacon Group, a leader in providing real jobs and employment-related services to people with disabilities.
McDade runs his unit’s Radio Frequency Identification tagging system for air-ground equipment. His work makes it possible for the Air Force to locate, maintain and account for thousands of pieces of equipment worth millions of dollars. He has been instrumental in locating issues in the computer tracking system that when corrected, increased efficiency Air Force-wide.
In accepting the award, McDade said he was able to talk to many individuals from companies like the Beacon Group and SourceAmerica who are working to make a difference for people with disabilities.
“It made me realize how many people are out there trying to help people make a better life for themselves,” he said.
To view a video on McDade and his accomplishments, click here.
SourceAmerica is an authorized enterprise that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The SourceAmerica achievement awards recognize nonprofits, employees, and business partners for their exceptional work ethic, success, and leadership in advancing inclusion for people with disabilities. These awards highlight successes in disability employment, especially when approximately 60 percent of working-age people with disabilities do not have jobs.