Chris Panico, a Wilmington, Del., Local 313 third-year apprentice, was honored with an Air Force Achievement Medal for his service as a journeyman/craftsman electrician in Kuwait from September 2008 to January 2009.

An enlistee in the Air Force Reserves, Staff Sgt. Panico has served six years in the civil engineering squadron of the 512th Airlift Wing based at Dover Air Force Base.

The Air Force medal was accompanied by a statement crediting Panico with "significantly contributing to the security of 301,000 transitioning forces and $3.2 billion in combat assets." Panico executed 50 convoys transporting almost 2,000 tons of materials through high terrorist threat areas. He supervised the installation and construction of an automated vehicle photography system that inspects 300 vehicles daily and, says the Air Force, "significantly [decreases] the vehicle borne improvised explosive device threat."

"Local 313 backed me all the way throughout my deployment," says Panico. "That’s what true brothers do." Local members sent care packages and provided books for Panico to continue studying during his down time.

"When I returned," says Panico, they offered me extra tutoring after hours and weekends to catch up with my studies and make sure that I didn’t fall behind."