Lajes Airman receives DOD Image Award Published May 12, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs LAJES FIELD, AZORES -- An Airman here received a Department of Defense award on behalf of the Air Force for doing what she loves best - volunteering and helping others. Tech. Sgt. Shari Owoh, 65th Air Base Wing protocol office, was recognized as the Air Force recipient of the 2011 DOD National Image Meritorious Service Award. She was recognized for outstanding work done from May 2009 through March 2011 and was presented the award during a ceremony in Orlando, Fla., April 28. The award honors military members and DOD civilian employees who support the DOD mission, overseas contingency operations, or whose attributes best epitomize quality and core values of their military service. "I feel honored to be the wing's and Air Force's representative for such a prestigious award," Sergeant Owoh said. "The fact that I was chosen to represent the Air Force is still such a big shock to me, and I am truly honored." The service award acknowledged Sergeant Owoh for promoting programs and activities that brought awareness to women, minorities and youth. In 2009, while stationed at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., Sergeant Owoh served on the African American Heritage Council and the Women's History Month Committee, and she led a program that promoted the civil rights of all Americans including minorities and women. Sergeant Owoh organized numerous programs, one of which was adopted by members of the Air National Guard at Andrews AFB, Md. She also coordinated the 2009 Black History Month's health fair for more than 2,000 members, and she was a project officer for the first two-day conference ever held during Women's History Month at Bolling AFB. When Sergeant Owoh arrived at Lajes in May 2010, she hit the ground running with her innovative community involvement programs. She coordinated the donation of backpacks and school supplies for a Portuguese elementary school. She also hosted an event that highlighted the unity among minorities and non-minorities in the military and civilian communities. Sergeant Owoh is not new to receiving awards. At Lajes, she earned the titles of Military Volunteer of the Year and the wing's NCO of the 1st Quarter. After receiving the DOD Image award, she described the feeling as "so unreal," and "mind blowing." "It shows that if you keep doing the things you love without looking for any recognition, God will ensure you are taken care of, and you don't have to worry about anything else," she said. Keeping a smile on her face at all times, while selflessly serving the military and her community are some of the factors that separate Sergeant Owoh from her peers. According to her award citation, Sergeant Owoh displayed the outstanding qualities that distinguish her as a leader. "She practiced the tenets of a democratic society, including the U.S. constitution, the belief that all people are created equal and that freedom is a right that must be protected at all times," the award citation reads. Sergeant Owoh is just another example of the great Airmen at Lajes who do good things every day.