AF names 2012 GEICO Military Service Awards nominees Published Jan. 7, 2013 By Louise Brown Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Four Airmen are nominees for the 2012 Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. Nominees include Tech. Sgt. Cecilia N. Cardenas, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss; Senior Master Sgt. Michael V. Marascia, Dyess AFB, Texas; Senior Master Sgt. Steven L. Rinehart, Misawa Air Base, Japan; and Master Sgt. Woodson W. Wright, III, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The Air Force Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Category nominee, Cardenas played a vital role in implementing weekly "Drunk Busters" and "Peer-to-Peer" education on underage drinking. According to her commander, her work directly contributed to a 28 percent decrease in driving under the influence and 40 percent decrease in underage drinking. Thanks to Cardenas' efforts, the Keesler program was selected for inclusion in a congressionally-mandated study of substance abuse treatment. Air Force Fire Safety and Fire Prevention Category nominee Marascia was lauded for leading the Dyess team responsible for protecting 420 facilities and 1,752 houses encompassing 30 million square feet. He authored the base fire prevention instruction used to implement fire and life safety standards, and was an integral member of the infrastructure assessment team tasked to evaluate and prioritize needs for 10 installations As the Traffic Safety and Accident Prevention Category nominee, Rinehart managed the base traffic program, ensuring smooth, safe travel for 5,000 vehicles and 13,500 people every day. According to Rinehart's commander, his traffic strategies employed checkpoints and patrols that reduced on- and off-base drinking and driving incidents by 59 and 64 percent respectively, and he contributed significantly to the unit earning the 2011 Pacific Air Forces' Traffic Safety Achievement Award. Wright, the Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard category nominee executed duties tied to ground safety noncommissioned officer. He created and presented dynamic presentations, educating 110 squadron members on topics including auto traffic safety and accident prevention. His briefings provided insight to seasonal considerations including winter driving tips and fatigue mitigation. According to his commander, Wright exemplified ground safety NCO attributes when he personally contacted law enforcement to apprehend a drunk driver, which prevented a potentially life-threatening incident. GEICO will select recipients in each category from all nominees submitted by each of the military services. The recipients will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. next spring. For information on Air Force recognition program and other personnel issues, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil. Â