February 2001 Lopez, Bianco earn Duncan Leadership Awards
Det. 1/444 MPAD
02/11/2001
Staff Sgt. Daniel Lopez Jr. of the 166th Civil Engineering Squadron (center) was this year's Air Guard recipient of the SBI Duncan Leadership Award. (From left to right) Mr. Irwin Duncan, Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, Staff Sgt. Daniel Lopez, Gloria Lopez and Lt. Gen. (Ret) William Duncan. Photo by CW2 Dave Skocik, 1/444th MPAD
Sgt. James A. Bianco of the 945th Collections & Classification Company in Milford (center), was this year's Army Guard recipient of the SBI Duncan Leadership Award. (From left to right) Mr. Irwin Duncan, Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, Sgt. James A. Bianco, Helen Bianco and Lt. Gen. (Ret) William Duncan. (Photo by CW2 Dave Skocik, 1/444th MPAD)
Staff Sgt. Daniel Lopez Jr. of the 166th Civil Engineering Squadron, New Castle, and Sgt. James A. Bianco of the 945th Collections & Classification Co., Milford, were presented with the S.B.I. Duncan Leadership Award. The ceremony took place on February 11, at the Col. S.B.I. Duncan Readiness Center in New Castle.
The Colonel S.B.I. Duncan Leadership Award is presented annually to an enlisted soldier and airman serving as a traditional guard member and whose quality of service best reflects the example set by Col. S.B.I. Duncan during his 35 years of dedicated service in the Delaware National Guard. Col. Duncan served in both World Wars.
Recipients are recognized for outstanding performance in areas of leadership, devotion to duty, support of recruiting and retention objectives and their ability to accomplish assigned tasks.
Lopez and Bianco were each recognized before supervisors, peers, family members and friends by Lt. Gen. (ret.) William H. Duncan and his brother Irwin in memory of their father, the late Col. Duncan. Maj. Gen. Frank D. Vavala, Adjutant General of the Delaware National Guard, also presented each man with the Delaware National Guard Distinguished Service Medal.
Each was informed of his selection by his supervisors at Christmas drill. Each was surprised and elated by the news. "I didn’t know who my commander was describing when he announced a winner had been chosen. It was only after he said my name that it sank in. My heart was pounding then and I’m nervous now," said Lopez, a 14 -year military veteran, four of which are in the Delaware National Guard. SSgt. Lopez and his wife Gloria reside in Wilmington.
Sgt. Bianco, a Seaford resident with six and one-half years in the 945th, echoed the tension. "I’m a little nervous about this. I hope I don’t have to make any remarks today," he said as his wife Helen looked on.
The award ceremony was followed by a reception at the Duncan Center.