NCO's impact nets Air Force Physiology NCO of the Year

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Rob Mims
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  A NCO here is the 2006 Air Force Aerospace Physiology NCO of the Year.

Tech. Sgt. Heather Tevebaugh, NCO in charge of Aerospace Physiology - Human Performance Training Team at the 319th Aeromedical Dental Squadron, was pleased to receive the reward, if not a bit perplexed.

"I was surprised," said Sergeant Tevebaugh. "The award winners are normally our High Altitude Airdrop Mission Support team members. So it was nice to know that what I am doing at Grand Forks has just as much impact."

After all the accomplishments by this NCO in 2006, it shouldn't be a surprise. She was selected as the 319th Medical Group NCO of the quarter (second quarter) and garnered the Chief of Safety Medical Achievement Award.

But Sergeant Tevebaugh also provided more than 700 base members with training, briefings and instruction on everything from fatigue countermeasures, dietary supplement effects, altitude effects and nutrition.

As the Operational Risk Management program manager, she inspected 17 squadrons, provided expertise after a C-5 aircraft mishap and wrote an article for the base populace.

Her expertise allowed her to perform flawlessly in an officer's role in the absence of her physiologist, performing lectures and serving as a member of the Safety Investigation Board Human Factors after a KC-135 aircraft mishap.

Performing as an officer is exactly what Sergeant Tevebaugh wants to do. And she has the credentials to press ahead with that goal. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Touro University International with a bachelor's degree in health education. If her commissioning package gets approved, she will join the officer ranks as soon as possible.

But for now, the wing's only National Transportation Safety Board Fatigue investigator works on more education and has completed 16 semester hours toward an arts in education master's degree while maintaining a 3.8 grade point average.

However, work and school is balanced by community, mentoring and service projects on and off base.

During 2006, she mentored Airmen and children, worked with a spouses group to coordinate a KC-135 incentive flight for the group and, as a Phoenix Spouse speaker, briefed spouses about stress management and fitness.
Sergeant Tevebaugh also helped serve a Thanksgiving Day meal at Northland Rescue Mission in Grand Forks, is a SAFE KIDS Coalition member and is the active duty military representative in the Safe Communities organization.

Apparently, filling every waking moment in her life with those things is not enough.

"I just try to use effective time management and do things that are important to me," said Sergeant Tevebaugh. "One of the most important things was to participate in and complete the Manitoba Half Marathon. I completed it with a 12-minute mile pace for the entire 13.1 miles. Setting goals and achieving them is one of the things I try to instill in my children."

On evaluations, awards and decorations and package nominations, leaders want to see what impact each task had. For Sergeant Tevebaugh, her actions had significant impact and earned her the 2006 Air Force Physiology NCO of the Year.