Air Force Personnel Center news service (Dec. 14, 2005): Air Force names 2005 Sijan award recipients.

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Air Force recognized four airmen with the Service's 2005 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award.

The Sijan award annually recognizes Airmen who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or below.

The 2005 recipients are:

Senior officer -- Lt. Col. Gerald J. Ven Dange, Defense Contract Management Agency West at Redondo Beach, Calif. The Air Force recognized Ven Dange for his support of the Iraqi theater transportation mission that provided more than 80 percent of all cargo transiting Iraq for use by coalition forces. His technical expertise, leadership, and guidance helped achieve mission success in support of warfighters.

Junior officer -- Capt. William M. Dains, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Dains managed supply, logistical, maintenance, and detainee movements in Iraq. He built and organized a combat convoy section from scratch that included mission binders, strip and grid maps, and an in-depth 60-page standard operating procedure guide. During his tour, Dains executed 1,200 missions and transported 20,000 passengers over 60,000 miles of dangerous Iraqi roadways.

Senior enlisted -- Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez, Kirtland AFB, N.M. Colon-Lopez trained and led an elite element of handpicked operators in multiple direct-action missions against terrorist organizations in support of the global war on terrorism. As the director of training at the pararescue school, he led a cadre of pararescuemen and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape instructors in the largest premier rescue school in the Defense Department. His leadership helped ensure the safe training and education of more than 150 pararescue and combat rescue officer students per year.

Junior enlisted -- Senior Airman Grailin M. Blamer, Fort Lewis, Wash. Airman Blamer provided advice and close-air-support command and control during a six-month combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His actions and calm demeanor while under enemy fire led to the destruction of enemy combatants and saved countless coalition lives.

The Sijan award was first given in 1981. It was named in honor of the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. Capt. Sijan was shot down over Vietnam on Nov. 9, 1967, and evaded capture for 45 days despite severe injuries. After being captured, he overpowered a guard and crawled into the jungle, but was recaptured. He later died while in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. He was presented the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroism.