Tuskegee Airman of the Week: Dec. 29, 2008 - Jan. 4, 2009

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala
  • 332nd AEW Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq --  Staff Sgt. Quinton D. Fitzgerald is the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing's Tuskegee Airman of the Week for Dec. 29, 2008 - Jan. 4, 2009.

"It is an honor for me to congratulate Staff Sgt. Quinton D. Fitzgerald as our first Tuskegee Airman of the Week for 2009," said Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, 332nd AEW commander. "We have our past and our legacy of our Tuskegee Airmen. They overcame adversity every single day just like [Fitzgerald] overcome adversity every single day by performing in an outstanding and fantastic manner. [He is] helping us take our legacy and our past into the future with today's Tuskegee Airmen."

Fitzgerald, 14th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron assistant NCO in charge of aircrew flight equipment, has performed 28 pre/post-flight inspections resulting in 28 successful combat night sorties. He has also trained five Airmen on survival radio operations.

While working as an aircrew flight equipment journeyman, he executed 64 post-flight checks of pilot equipment. Additionally, he identified and corrected three critical defects with zero mission delays. Furthermore, Fitzgerald has maintained $3.6 million in night-vision goggle assets.

"The pilot's safety is our job; we make sure that we perform inspections on all of their gear," said Fitzgerald, a native of Baton Rouge, La., who is deployed from Misawa Air Base, Japan. "We [also] make sure that before they step to go fly, their weapon is loaded correctly, and that everything they are wearing is on correctly and configured right."

In addition to his day-to-day mission, Fitzgerald is also very involved in JBB activities and encourages others to be as well.

Fitzgerald is the Red Tail 5/6 photographer and historian. He recently documented a combat NCO's story preserving the Tuskegee Airmen legacy. Additionally, he is an active volunteer at Troy's Place. He was recently a lead actor in Balad's performance of "A Christmas Carol" and also participated in three dining facility caroling events, dedicating 60 hours of his time.

"Get out and do something," Fitzgerald said. "Being here is not the most promising place to be. Not too many people like to be here, but if you get out and you volunteer, it makes the time go by a lot faster -- you do good things."

Fitzgerald's supervisor, Staff Sgt. William Carroll, 14th EFS NCOIC of aircrew flight equipment, is proud to have him on his team. "Sergeant Fitzgerald is a really hard worker. I don't have to ask him to do things more than once. He's my right-hand man.

"Sergeant Fitzgerald doesn't just come to work, go home and do nothing, he makes the effort to go out and do things," added the Pleasant Hill, Mo., native. "He takes the time out of his own personal time to go help people around the base who might need it."

The 332nd AEW Tuskegee Airman of the Week is selected based on an Airman's accomplishments both on and off-duty. Airmen in the pay grades of E-1 to E-6 are eligible.