JACKSON NATIVE EARNS TOP AF HONORS

SUFFOLK, England A Jackson native assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing Weather Flight at Royal Air Force Bentwaters Station in Woodbridge, England, recently received top honors as the Outstanding Weather Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 1991 for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and the Air Force, world-wide.

MSGT. Philip D. Thompson, 37, son of David and Phyllis Thompson of 735 Highland, Jackson, is the assistant chief of weather station operations at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge.

Thompson is a 1973 graduate of Jackson High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University two years before enlisting in the Air Force in 1975.

"This is Phil's second tour of duty in England," said Phyllis Thompson, in an interview this week. "His first assignment was at RAF Lakenheath. Now he's in the fourth year of his second tour of duty in England. Phil told me he will be helping close down RAF Bentwaters and Woodbridge next summer. I don't know where he'll be reassigned, but we're all hoping it will be back in the United States."

Thompson said when her son enlisted in the Air Force, he was a munitions specialist at RAF Lakenheath. After re-enlisting, Thompson crosstrained from munitions into weather.

As a member of the weather flight at RAF Bentwaters, Thompson also worked as the staff weather NCO assigned to the 39th Special Operations Wing while it was stationed at RAF Woodbridge. Thompson was deployed to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm, then voluntarily returned to the Persian Gulf area for Operation Provide Comfort, providing technical support for air crews operating in the region.

While deployed in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm, Thompson was responsible for the setup of forward-based support in remote areas and assisted United States and multi-national combat forces, and later, relief forces. In addition, Thompson was also cited for his humanitarian missions into Turkey and Iraq, delivering life-saving supplies and evacuating wounded refugees.

"Sgt. Thompson is a true professional, he makes command a pleasure," said Major Charles M. Davenport, 81st Weather Flight Commander. "To have the top weather NCO in the Air Force is a testimony to the quality of people in this unit." Thompson received the award at the Air Weather Service headquarters at Offut AFB, Neb.

Sgt. Thompson is married, and has three children.