JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --
Two Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center team members won individual 2023 Air Force Civil Engineer awards for their outstanding performance this past year.
Senior Master Sgt. Michael Nalley Jr., AFIMSC’s Fire and Emergency Services program manager, earned his second fire officer of the year honors as the Chief Master Sgt. Hoyd O. Sanders Award recipient for his contributions to the Air Force’s fire protection program.
Maj. Ronda Underwood, Expeditionary Engineering Division chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Readiness Directorate, was named the Maj. Gen. William D. Gilbert award recipient for outstanding performance and exemplary service.
“Senior Master Sgt. Nalley has been moving mountains since his arrival to AFIMSC,” said Chief Master Sgt. Mark Abrahamson, AFIMSC’s Chief of Fire and Emergency Services. “While supporting Wounded Warrior efforts Air Force-wide, he has also reshaped requirements resourcing and expeditionary capabilities for the Fire and Emergency Services program. He is one of the best firefighters I have worked with and is fully deserving of this award.”
As program manager, some of his accomplishments include delivering capabilities and fire functions support for nine major commands, two direct reporting units and 86 installations and securing $6.8 million for 33 wing priority projects to support 2,700 personnel and 743 facilities. He also led the Air Force’s first modular indoor firing range development, which enables 2,000 personnel to certify annually, with a 75-percent cost and 93-percent time reduction.
“Winning a second time was truly a shock … but upon returning to work as a wounded warrior, my focus was to help make life easier for Airmen in any way possible,” Nalley said. “Even when you think you have everything done and wrapped up, there is almost always something more you can do.”
As lead for several Air Force-wide programs, Underwood accomplished significant milestones for the CE functional community in 2023.
“I do the best I can with the challenges the Air Force gives me,” said Underwood. “I am astonished and honored to win, but still very humble. I had the opportunity to work on some very high-level projects with fantastic teams last year.”
As the lead for revitalizing the Air Force’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Qualified Officer Course, Underwood led a 12-person team in rewriting the curriculum and resurrecting the program, which had been dormant for more than a decade. The course will qualify 2,000 Air Force leaders over the next five years.
She also led a working group that created a model to convey ways to make AFFORGEN more sufficient for expeditionary combat support and contributed to a CORONA conference decision brief that led to the FY26 Air Task Force construct to answer the call to accelerate change within the Air Force. Several of her other accomplishments were centered around training – recognizing gaps, establishing requirements, managing and advocating for several multimillion-dollar budgets to expand programs, equipment and infrastructure for readying Airmen and sharpening combat capabilities.
“Major Underwood has been an instrumental game changer in operational planning and building out the Secretary of the Air Force’s restructuring to better posture the Department of the Air Force for Great Power Competition,” said Col. Kurt Muller, AFCEC’s Readiness director. “She has been a core architect in revamping combat support and maneuvering through a pivotal time, while keeping our forces relevant for the future. Ronda has truly embraced and directly influenced SECAF’s direction and will continue leading the charge to ensure we are postured for success.”
Both winners said that although they are being recognized for outstanding accomplishments in these categories, tackling these projects cannot be done alone and they are very appreciative of the teams, mentors and leaders they work alongside.
Winners will be recognized at the Air Force Civil Engineer Functional Awards Banquet on March 6 during the CE Summit being held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Three additional AFIMSC members were selected as runners-up in the following 2023 CE Award categories:
- Master Sgt. Nicholas Olson, AFCEC, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Staff Officer – Outstanding Emergency Manager runner up.
- Master Sgt. Jason Osterberg, AFIMSC, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Enlisted EOD MasterBlaster of the Year runner up.
- Master Sgt. Alexander Price, AFIMSC, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Staff Action Officer Enlisted – Maj. Gen. William D. Gilbert Award runner up.