MacDill Airman is AMC Airman of the Year

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michael Ellis
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  One of MacDill Air Force Base's own earned the title of 2010 Air Mobility Command Airmen of the Year. With 136,000 members in AMC, that was no easy feat.

"Never compare yourself to people you don't want to be. Always push yourself to do the best you can. If you give 100 percent, you will never have any regrets," said Senior Airman Kristina A. Zacherl, a native of Maple Shade, N.J., now an air traffic controller at MacDill Air Force Base.

At 22 years-old, that's wise advice from a young, aspiring, resilient Airman.

Airman Zacherl enjoys pushing herself to unconventional limits.

"I joined the Air Force for the education benefits, to travel, and to learn skills that will benefit me in the future," said Airman Zacherl.

She chose air traffic control because she "wanted a job that would challenge me every day."

Statistically speaking, 30 percent of trainees washout (fail) of ATC technical training. Of the 70 percent remaining, only 30 percent will go on to be proficient at their first duty station. The other 40 percent will require cross training into another career field.

Despite the odds, Airman Zacherl has managed to excel in her career field. She is even currently serving on a voluntary deployment.

"Being deployed is very different from being in the states," said Airman Zacherl. "You learn to appreciate the little things that seemed irrelevant before."

When asked about any obstacles in her apparently seamless career so far she said, "My biggest challenges since joining the Air Force were leaving home initially, the base Honor Guard, Airman Leadership School and deploying," said Airmen Zacherl. "I learned to adapt to change instead of resisting it. You get something positive out of every difficult experience."

Because of her "adapting" she is now experiencing the rewards of her labor. On April 1, she was officially named the 2010 Air Mobility Command Airmen of the Year.

"I was extremely excited when I received the phone call from my commander. I wasn't sure what my chances were of winning, but I did know I would have some tough competition," Airman Zacherl said.

"The first thing I did was call my husband, Senior Airman Robert Wood," she said. "I feel honored. It was a privilege to even be nominated."

Her accomplishments have not gone unnoticed.

"We're extremely proud of 6th Operations Group's Senior Airman Kristina Zacherl for winning the 2010 Air Mobility Command Outstanding Airmen of the Year," said Col. Lenny Richoux, the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander.

Airman Zacherl will go on to compete for the title at the Air Force level.