A senior noncommissioned officer assigned to the 377th Force Support Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., has been selected as the 2020 Air Force Higher Headquarters Command & Control Operations Headquarters Senior NCO of the Year, a functional award for the career field.

Master Sgt. Diane K. Brown-Trent, now Team Kirtland’s career assistance advisor, applies lessons learned in 22 years of service to provide professional development and career counseling to Team Kirtland. During the award period, she served as the first sergeant and superintendent of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Albuquerque Joint Operations Center at Kirtland AFB.

The Regensburg, Germany, native described her reaction upon hearing the news.

“I was so thankful and excited, as I had not won an Air Force-level award. It was even more special because I am now a career assistance advisor, which changed my AFSC, so it was an awesome “leaving” the career field with such an awesome surprise. I am very fortunate that I had awesome leadership that had opportunities available and I just embraced them. I truly learned how to grow where you are planted at DTRA. I try to push for people to embrace those opportunities they are given and get comfortable being uncomfortable,” she said.

U.S. Air Force Col. Peter J. Lex, chief of the current operations division of DTRA’s Albuquerque JOC, praised her skills and abilities.

“Master Sgt. Diane Brown-Trent is an outstanding senior non-commissioned officer. She excelled as our superintendent of the Albuquerque Joint Operations Center. Her ability to the balance the mission while taking care of people has proven to be invaluable,” he said.