JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Sandra Pratt, 633rd Air Base Wing Chapel information and referral assistant, won the annual Air Force Chaplain Corps Outstanding Civilian of the Year award for 2016.
Nominees are selected based on three categories, including leadership and job performance, significant self-improvement and contributing civic, cultural or professional activities in the military or civilian community.
Prior to winning the OCY award, Pratt also won the 633rd ABW Admin and Technical Civilian of the Quarter award for the fourth quarter and Civilian Category I of the Year award.
According to U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Brian McCormack, 633rd ABW chaplain, Pratt is the focal point of all administrative and ministry processes at the chapel and its associated facilities.
“She is a leader, has a great attitude, is very humble and helps out probably more than she even knows,” said McCormack. “She also helped us win the Chaplain Corps’ large chapel team of the year award for 2016.”
Some of Pratt’s duties include managing chapel calendars, vetting chaplains for weddings and other ceremonies, scheduling facility usage, processing chaplain invocations, assisting with base exercises, organizing on and off-base events, coordinating schedules for distinguished visitors and disseminating information for worship services and classes.
McCormack said Pratt’s background as an Air Force retiree is one of the reasons why she is so valuable, and understands the system.
“Her skill-set is really strong,” said McCormack. “What she’s been able to do for us takes it up to another level because of her prior military experience.”
Describing herself as someone who does not like to be at the center of attention, Pratt says she prefers to be in the background and get the job done.
“After I won Civilian of the Quarter and Civilian of the Year for the wing, I thought that was the end of it,” said Pratt. “I didn’t know anything about the Outstanding Civilian of the Year award and when it was announced that I won – that was a shocker.”
The Air Force Chaplain Corps’ OCY individual award is presented to civilian employees in recognition of outstanding service or contributions to the Chaplain Corps. At the end of March, annual individual and team awards will be presented to Airmen and civilians during the Chaplain Corps’ summit in San Antonio, Texas.