Kenduskeag guardsman named Airman of Year

BANGOR – Master Sgt. Alan L. Smith of Kenduskeag, a member of the 101st Air Refueling Wing’s Security Forces Squadron at Bangor Air National Guard Base, was recently selected as the Maine Air National Guard Outstanding Airman of the Year.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Tinkham, the adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, presented the award during ceremonies at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

The award was established to recognize and honor the most deserving Maine Air National Guard member each year. Selection is made from three state nominees. Nominations are open to all enlisted members of the Maine Air National Guard.

Smith entered the Maine Army National Guard in 1979 and was assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 262nd Combat Engineer Battalion. In 1988, he transferred to the Maine Air National Guard as a full-time Active Guard Reserve member with the 101st Security Forces Squadron. Before that, he was a full-time deputy sheriff with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

Smith has received many military awards and decorations. He is a member of the Kenduskeag Planning Board, Hiram Maxim Historical Society, Central High School Concerned Parents Committee and the Maine National Guard Pistol and Rifle Team. He remains a part-time deputy sheriff for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.