News Release

Eleven Honored as Top Metro Military                                                       May 16, 2008

Eleven junior enlisted people from all branches of the service in the Metro area we singled out for special honors today. The best the military had to offer were singled out by their peers and honored by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce at their 32nd Annual Armed Forces Recognition Luncheon.

AFRL winners with Rep. Perlmutter

Winners included Army Staff Sergeant Robert Phillips, Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Samantha Pettay, Colorado Army Guardsman Sergeant Kyle Brown, Navy Petty Officer Second Class Erika Gomez, Navy Reserve Petty Officer First Class Adam Nord, Marine Corps Sergeant Manuel Perez, Marine Corps Reservist Corporal Nathan Miller, Air Force Technical Sergeant Trevor Dunn, Air Force Reserve Technical Sergeant Lee Milburn, Colorado Air Guard Senior Airman Katy Driesenga, and Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Monica Finnegan-Miles. 

Craig Ward and Diane Garcia

Also singled out for special recognition was Diane Garcia of 2G Associates who was named winner of the Bob Cardenas Award for exceptional support of the military in the Metro area.

More than 400 people from businesses and government turned for the Northrop-Grumman sponsored event which included a bill signing ceremony by Governor Bill Ritter and remarks from Seventh Congressional District Representative Ed Perlmutter.

Nominees for the Military Persons of the Year were selected by their peers for their outstanding achievements during the past year. They are named by their units, with the 11 winners represented Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve components.

Veteran’s legislation signed by Gov. Ritter at AFRL