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Froehlichs receive O’Malley Award

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Bethany La Ville
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --  Col. Eric Froehlich, the former 377th Air Base Wing commander, and his wife, Stephanie, were awarded the Air Force 2017 General and Mrs. Jerome O’Malley Award June 15 at Kirtland Air Force Base.

The O’Malley Award is given to the wing commander and spouse whose contributions to the nation, Air Force and local community best exemplify the highest ideals and positive leadership of a military couple serving in a key Air Force position.

“We have a lot of great commanders in the Air Force and to win this award is monumental,” said Gen. Robin Rand, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander. “This is a big deal and it's something the base should be incredibly proud of. What the Froehlichs have done the past two years has been simply spectacular.”

According to the citation, the Froehlichs “capitalized on providing first-class mentorship to all Airmen in regards to physical, mental, social, and spiritual resiliency to ensure mission-focused Airmen during support of nuclear operations.”

In a recent briefing to Kirtland AFB, Maj. Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, the 20th Air Force commander, congratulated the Froehlichs and praised their accomplishment.

“They are the number one wing commander and wife team in the Air Force,” said Cotton.

The couple were role models for not only the 377th Air Base Wing, but for employees and family members of more than 100 mission partners on the installation, while presenting a united Air Force message to local civic and congressional leaders in the community.

The commander envisioned the base’s 75th Anniversary celebration, directing multiple base and community events, including a major 1940s-themed banquet. He also led Kirtland’s first air show in five years and re-energized the Honorary Commanders Program, which inducted 54 community leaders, more than the program had ever had.

Together, they started a multitude of new programs, including a Kirtland AFB speaker series that brought high-profile guest speakers to the base, such as former Vietnam prisoner of war Lee Ellis, the Univeristy of New Mexico’s head football coach Bob Davie and former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker. The series also included local speakers who motivated and uplifted Kirtland AFB members.

They started 15 heritage cultural events that celebrated diversity and fortified respect. Through multiple visits and conversations, they strengthened pueblo relations and signed an agreement between Kirtland AFB and Indian Affairs, improving communications over mutual concerns.

Froehlich thanked Kirtland AFB members for their hard work and said receiving the award would not have been possible without them.

“This is not just our award. This is a team award and it’s special to be able to share it with you,” he said. “Together we’ve forged amazing partnerships, not just within our base community but also between our civic, congressional, and pueblo leaders. We have worked hard to build relationships of trust among those we’ve sworn to defend.”

The O’Malley Award is awarded annually and is in its 31st year. O’Malley and his wife Diane were known for their leadership and contributions to Air Force families and the communities surrounding them. The couple died in April 1985 in an airplane crash. Their children decided their efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed, so the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award was established.

The Froehlichs have left Kirtland to serve at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, where Col. Froehlich will be the vice commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center. They will be invited to Washington D.C. later this year to officially accept the award.