GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- An Airman assigned to 319th Contracting Flight here was awarded the 2014 Airlift/Tanker Association Young Leadership Award August 1.

Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Squires, 319th CONF contracting officer, said she is very humbled to receive the award, but she refused to take all of the credit for it.

"It really shows what kind of leadership we have here in contracting, and that we're always willing to do whatever we need to do to get the mission accomplished," said Squires. "I just feel like it was rewarding our unit for all of the great people we have here."

The award is given annually by the air mobility community to young individuals who show outstanding leadership and performance excellence. Officers and enlisted members are able to be selected for the award.

As a contracting officer, Squires is in charge of reviewing the work of the people in her unit as well as the money obligated for the contracts they write. She is one of only two contracting officers in the 319th CONF here.

Squires is a distinguished graduate from the NCO Academy, and she was recently selected as the Air Mobility Command's 2013 Outstanding Enlisted Contracting Member in the NCO Category while deployed to Afghanistan.

"Whether she's accomplishing the mission here in Grand Forks, down range, or in the classroom, she sets the standard," said her flight commander, Maj. Scott Schofield. "It's great to see her accomplishments and leadership recognized at such a high level."

The senior leaders in her unit gave her tasks that helped her cultivate her own leadership skills, said Squires. Using the skills she learned and working with her team members is what really helped her attain this award.

"Contracting is a team sport," said Squires. "If we didn't help each other out, the opportunities that allowed for me to be selected for this award wouldn't exist."