Academy grad reflects on Jabara Award

  • Published
  • By Capt. Denise Haeussler
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Going back to where it all started can be nostalgic for many. Going back to your roots, your "Gateway to the Air Force," to be recognized for a prestigious award as the aircraft you fly roars over your head, can be filled with many emotions, according to one Airman.

Capt. Kyle Babbitt, a former 303d Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot at Whiteman Air Force Base, who recently transferred to the 61st Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Arizona, to be an F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot, was presented the Jabara Award for Airmanship at a ceremony at the Air Force Academy May 1.

Babbitt, a 2008 Academy grad, earned the award for his sustained superior performance while deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"It is a great honor to win this award," said Babbitt at a luncheon inside Mitchell Hall, the Academy's dining hall, where he spent his four years eating meals. Babbitt is a 2008 USAFA graduate.

"When I looked out at the sea of cadets from the staff tower, I could see still myself down there," said Babbitt. "I never dined up here as a cadet and this experience was humbling."

The Academy, in conjunction with the Jabara Family and the Academy's Association of Graduates, established the Col. James Jabara Award for Airmanship Jan. 5, 1967.

Jabara was the second leading Air Force Ace of the Korean War. Each year the Academy presents the award to a graduate whose airmanship contributions are of great significance and set them apart from their colleagues.

Lt. Col. John Galloway, also an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 303rd FS, Babbitt's supervisor at home station and deployed down range, said when the opportunity came to put someone in for the award, he began looking through mission reports to see if he had anyone who qualified.

"One name stood out above the rest," said Galloway. "The name was Capt. Kyle Babbitt. In previous years, the recipients usually have one single event that stands out.  Kyle had 14 combined which is beyond impressive."

Babbitt was deployed for a total of 11 months between September 2013 and October 2014. He first volunteered to go with the 75th FS from Moody AFB, Georgia, and then went again with his own 303rd FS. He directly engaged the enemy with precise lethal fire power against high-value targets and individuals on 14 occasions, regularly overcoming difficult weather, visibility problems, dangerous terrain, and communication issues. He flew more than 130 combat sorties and accrued more than 470 combat hours.

"I am humbled to be presented this award here tonight, especially hearing about all the great leaders who won this award before me," Babbitt said at a dinner that same evening. ""I am thankful for the Academy for teaching me the skills necessary that led me to this award."  Approximately 50 people were in attendance to include many former academy graduates and one previous Jabara Award recipient.

"It's very surreal being back here where it all started," said Babbitt with a nostalgic look in his eyes. "Seven years seems like a long time, but being back here now it could have been yesterday that I graduated. Being back to be honored in this way with my fellow cadets, pilots, and the planes I fly soaring above my head, is the most humbling experience I've had to date."