Honoring Excellence: The Tampa Bay Trophy Ceremony

Aerospace and Defense Review | Thursday, November 14, 2024

FREMONT, CA: Mark Kern of Scott Air Force Base, IL, earned the 2024 Tampa Bay Trophy on Saturday during the Airlift Tanker Association Convention in Grapevine, Texas. The trophy was presented by Tampa Bay Defense Alliance (TBDA) President Maj Gen Lawrence M. Martin Jr., USAF (Ret), Airlift/Tanker Association (A/TA) Chairman Gen Carlton D. Everhart II, USAF (Ret), and General John Lamontagne, Commander of Air Mobility Command. The Tampa Bay Trophy honors a civic leader whose lifetime accomplishments and meritorious service to the United States Air Force and Air Mobility Command exemplify the collaboration between the public and military communities.

According to the citation, "Mr. Mark Kern distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious conduct while performing outstanding service to the Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Guardians and Coast Guardsmen and families of Scott Air Force Base, the St. Clair County community, the State of Illinois, the United States Air Force and the Department of Defense. A St. Clair County civic leader for over 30 years, Mr. Kern improved the lives of more than 17,000 Total Force members and civilians and over 47,000 family members and retirees, enhanced the Scott AFB mission, and united the St. Clair County community. Mr. Kern leads St. Clair County's regional progress including public-private partnerships and mission-focused programs between Scott's four Air Force Wings, the U.S. Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency and other affiliated units. Mr. Kern led a coalition of local legislators and community partners to update Illinois spouse licensure portability, shortening processing time to under 30 days. He guided a Joint Land Use Study to prevent encroachment impacting the Scott Air Force Base mission. His advocacy helped remove base entry facility shortfalls, improved direct access to Scott Elementary school, grew the Boeing facility at Mid-America St. Louis airport, added base trolley services and spearheaded engagements working to bring the KC-46 to Scott. He drove the county's financial and logistic support for Scott Air Force Base's first Air Show in five years, an event that welcomed over 125,000 attendees. A member of the Air Mobility Command's civic leader group, he led St. Clair County for recognition as an Association of Defense Communities 2020 Great American Community. Mr. Kern is a true champion of Scott Air Force Base's air mobility mission and has earned our gratitude for all he has accomplished as the recipient of the 2024 Airlift/Tanker Association Tampa Bay Trophy."

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