06/26/2008

A&S Graduate Honored with Outstanding Officer Award

University of Kentucky political science and gender and women’s studies graduate Susan Matsubara has received the Honorable George Rogers Clark Outstanding Young Officer Award for her performance as a military intelligence officer in the Kentucky National Guard.

Each year an individual who has demonstrated exceptional service service as an outstanding officer is nominated for the award by their battalion. An Army officer is chosen by each battalion and each squadron is asked to nominate an Air National Guard officer. An individual from subordinate nominations is selected by each brigade and is designated as a first and second place winner. The nominations are submitted to the National Guard Association of Kentucky Awards Committee, which reviews the nominees and selects a winner. Two awards are presented annually; an Army award and an Air award.

The purpose of the award is to provide recognition for a junior grade officer who has excelled beyond normal performance of service and positively affected the future of his or her unit.  Criteria for the award include the soldier’s personal characteristics, individual achievements, unit awards, and improvement of ratings.

Matsubara is a member of the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade and was nominated by Chief Warrant Officer Mark W. Grapin. Alongside her duties as an officer, she also serves as the assistant S2 for her brigade. Matsubara has endeavored to become the focal point in the Kentucky Army National Guard as an advocate for issues concerning women and minorities in an effort to place Kentucky at the front of a national effort to develop and implement such plans.

All Kentucky National Guard officers in the rank of Officer 1 through Officer 3 and Warrant Officers in the rank of Warrant Officer 1 and Chief Warrant Officer 2 are eligible providing the nominees have been in the Kentucky National Guard for at least two years. Matsubara has served in the Kentucky Army National Guard for 6.5 years.

Allison Elliott and Lindsay Wheatley -- UK Public Relations