Commanding presence

  • Published
  • By Jim Spellman
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Col. Corey Martin, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander and his wife, Holly, are the Air Mobility Command nominees for the 2015 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award.

The annual award recognizes an Air Force wing commander and spouse who have exhibited innovation, commitment and a selfless spirit of service while inspiring others.

The Martins championed AMC's largest Airman and Family Readiness Center with 13 key support and outreach programs, connecting 22,000 customers to $800,000 in free services. They led the Golden Bears to a second-place finish in the Commander-in-Chief's Installation Excellence Award, garnering $835,000 in quality of life funds that led to upgrades for the base fitness center and theater.

The Martins also oversaw the final $75,000 in fundraising and construction of the $5 million, 16-room Travis Fisher House II on the David Grant USAF Medical Center campus for ill or injured service members and their families.

Colonel Martin initiated a monthly "Golden Bear Shadow Program" to foster understanding and communication between junior enlisted Airmen and wing leadership. The colonel would accompany a junior Airman as he or she accomplished daily duties. This gives the base commander an opportunity to learn about the daily challenges of accomplishing the mission at the tactical level, while the Airman gets the opportunity to gain a strategic-level perspective of the mission.

"I always come away from a Shadow Bear outing with a renewed appreciation for the relentless work Golden Bears do daily," Colonel Martin said. "I am very proud of their selfless attitudes as they serve not only Travis Air Force Base, but also our families and our nation."

Holly Martin led the Exceptional Family Membership Program's gas card program, raising $3,000 for families to cover distant medical appointment costs and positioning the program for future sponsorship with the Chevron Corp. She also led the nationally recognized Operation Cookie Drop and the Travis Officer Spouses Club scholarship auction which raised thousands for military dependents to pursue higher-education goals. Additionally, while teaching and tutoring high school-level biology, she developed learning plans for teens with learning disabilities.

"It is quite humbling to be nominated for this award when I am surrounded by individuals here at Travis who embody selflessness," Holly Martin said. "We all have unique gifts to share with others that impact the community and pay forward what others have done for us."

Now in its 30th year, the annual award is named after General O'Malley and his wife, Diane, who were killed in a 1985 aircraft crash while en route to a Boy Scout fund-raising banquet in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The couple was known for their leadership and contributions to Air Force families and communities.

As the AMC nominees, the Martins will now compete at the Air Force level against other major command nominees. The Air Force will announce the winner later this year.