2014 NOMAR award winners announced Published Aug. 19, 2014 By Janis El Shabazz Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs OINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Two members from the Air Force Space Command have been selected as the 2014 National Organization for Mexican American Rights Meritorious Award winners. The NOMAR Meritorious Service Award honors military and Department of Defense civilian employees who supported the DOD mission or overseas contingency operations, and demonstrated role model qualities and the core values of their respective military service or agency. Capt. Angel Serna distinguished himself as a communication satellite assessment team chief at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. A military engineer, he is an advocate for minorities in the military. Serna led a team of 16 engineers to conduct independent technical reviews of four communication satellites. His team's efforts resulted in the successful launch of two national security missions that provided communications links for frontline troops. Additionally, he helped define and standardize the technical assessment plans and procedures used for all satellites, boosters and command and control systems acquired by the Space and Missile Systems Center. He led programs at a local tutoring center to advance the education of numerous minorities by matching them with mentors for career guidance and academic help. His tutoring center provided 154 hours of free services to 32 low-income students studying English as their second language. Anthony Mauna, a Program Analyst with the Installations and Mission Support Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado, provided supervisory oversight to four logistics career broadener employees, including two minorities. He benchmarked a catalog of 12 training opportunities and implemented a job rotation schedule to help further develop these employees. One of his minority trainees was hired to a permanent position within the Space Command headquarters and a second was accepted into the Air Force Air Command and Staff College master's degree program. Mauna continues to mentor former employees throughout their careers. Two of those, who are currently assigned to Headquarters Air Force, were accepted into the Department of Defense Senior Leadership Development Program. The award will be presented during the NOMAR 2014 Annual Training Conference and Business Meeting, Aug. 25-28, Denver, CO. For more information about Air Force Recognition Programs and other personnel issues, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil. Â