Base leaders recognize ‘Hometown Heroes’ Published April 4, 2014 By Phil Berube 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The people of Maxwell-Gunter take great pride in calling the base the "Best Hometown in the Air Force!" 42nd Air Base Wing leaders are asking people to help them recognize those who truly go above and beyond the call of duty to make Team Maxwell a world-class installation. To do so, wing leadership is announcing the start of a new, monthly "Hometown Hero" recognition spotlight in the base newspaper, the Maxwell-Gunter Dispatch. "We have Airmen, contractors and family members here who make a significant difference in the lives of others," said Col. Trent Edwards, 42nd ABW commander. "We'd like to recognize those people as our 'hometown heroes,' and highlight their accomplishments and unsung sacrifices. It's about sharing their stories from the eyes of the person they helped." Anyone can nominate someone to be recognized. The program is open to all units, and nominees can be military, civilians, contractors or family members. The name of the nominee and the name of the person submitting the nomination should be sent to the unit first sergeant, who will forward the request to public affairs. The nominee, the person who submitted the nomination and the unit commander can expect to fill out a brief questionnaire. The unit commander will provide a statement about the nominee who works in their unit. The submitter will provide a statement as to why the nominee should be recognized as a hometown hero. Public affairs will schedule a photo opportunity with the nominee. "We realize that time is valuable to Airmen and all those who work on Maxwell and Gunter, which is why we designed this program to be as unobtrusive as possible," said Col. Mark Ramsey, 42nd ABW vice commander. "But we feel that taking a little time to publicly recognize these hometown heroes will contribute greatly to the legacy of Maxell-Gunter being a world-class installation."