ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Every year, 12 Airmen from across the Air Force are selected to be recognized as truly outstanding based on their leadership qualities, job performance and personal achievements.
One of the Airmen selected this year is Senior Airman Demarion Davis, 48th Communications Squadron TEMPEST manager, stationed here at RAF Lakenheath.
Despite calling St. Augustine, Florida, his home, Davis spent most of his life overseas having grown up in a military family and has had close ties to the local area since he was a child.
“I was actually born in Bury St. Edmunds (England) when (my dad) was stationed at RAF Mildenhall,” Davis said. “For this to be my first duty assignment, it's crazy to see how the world just does like a 360.”
Having had a connection to the Air Force since birth, Davis said his family had a big influence on his decision to enlist.
“My dad, (who’s a) retired senior master sergeant, kind of pushed and inspired me to want to do better, travel and join the Air Force,” he said. “When I went to the recruiter, my dad took me over there. I was like, ‘I want to be a maintainer. I want to work on planes just like my dad.’ Then I thought to myself, I really love doing mechanics, and if I did it every day for a job, I think it would kind of spoil the fact that I like to do that in my own free time versus it being more or less like a job. So I put cybersecurity as my number one option.”
After eventually landing the job he wanted in the Air Force, Davis started his career here at RAF Lakenheath as a communications Airman.
“It was definitely difficult at first,” he said. “(At one point) it was just me, an NCO and the section chief for nearly a year. I was basically the only technician in the shop doing an array of trouble tickets and then going out and running (a program) for the whole base, which is like an E-5 level position. Now, we have plenty of airmen in our shop, so the workload has definitely been dispersed, and I can kind of focus on running the program for the wing.”
Having overcome adversity early in his career, Davis’ accomplishments haven’t gone unnoticed. He has previously been named Airman of the Quarter and won other squadron and base level awards, which he said he owes a lot of thanks to his leadership for nominating him.
“I can say with 100% if it wasn't for the hands-on leadership, the face time and the value that I got out of all the mentors that I have, I wouldn't be sitting here right now,” Davis said. “Throughout my whole career being here at Lakenheath, my supervisors have always driven me (and said) if you want something, then you just let me know and I can get you to where you need to go.”
Now that he has been named one of the Air Force’s most outstanding Airmen, Davis said he is looking forward to getting the opportunity to network and gain insight from senior leadership and to pursue his goal of eventually becoming a commissioned officer.
“I think going forward in my military career, if I commission as an officer, I'll have a much better understanding and be able to relate with the enlisted side knowing that I came from the enlisted side,” he said. “I want to be able to take what I have done and be able to reflect that upon the airmen that will come behind us. (I want to) show them that if you want to win awards or whatever it is you want to do, it's possible, all you have to do is just set your mind to it. If you don't set your standards and your goals, and let other people know your goals, then there's only so much that they can help you do.”