SSgt Kaitlin Morgan

Married; hometown is Jasper, Fla.

Morgan goes above and beyond what’s expected, whether she’s getting airmen ready for the war zone, leading physical training or teaching kids how to play volleyball.

Last year, Morgan was stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan, where she served as unit deployment manager for the 301st Intelligence Squadron.

Lt. Col. Michael S. Smith, the squadron’s commander, described Morgan as “great” at her job, “defeating logistical hurdles” to ship weapons to six remote desert locations and saving the Air Force money at the same time.

Morgan’s handling of one problem, though, really wowed Smith.

“She identified and resolved a wing-level broken weapons shipment process, narrowly averting a major security violation, and thwarting an international incident,” he wrote in an email.

Off duty, Morgan spent much of her time helping the children — at Misawa, across Japan and around the world. She coached volleyball and organized a tutoring program. She was instrumental in planning a local Special Olympics; served as local president of Operation Eyesight, which helps blind children; and organized a fundraiser that brought in $500 for humanitarian aid to Haiti earthquake victims.

At the end of his email, Smith rattled off example after example of Morgan’s selflessness — baby-sitting for free, acting as a designated driver for five of Misawa’s social events, mentoring her fellow airmen.

“SSgt Morgan reminds us what it takes to get the mission done,” Smith wrote, “and inspires us to do our very best at all times.”