Third Unity Medal awarded Thursday, May 20, 2010 | 10:29:00 PM | General |
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| I am pleased to award only the third Unity Medal in USEC history in accordance with USEC Standing Orders Section 3.3.2 to Brigadier General Joe Highman. Under normal circumstances it could be considered unusual to award this medal to an individual who has less than two years service with this organisation but to those who have served with and under BGEN Highman it will come as no surprise. BGEN Highman has a reputation for committing himself fully to any task he undertakes and has made an extraordinary contribution to USEC. He has lead by example and commands the utmost respect and admiration from the men he has led. A real testament to the high regard in which he is held is the number of recommendations for this award I have received from members of the enlisted ranks. This speaks volumes for his character and impact he has made during his USEC career. It was apparant within days of Joe Highman enlisting with USEC that he was not your ordinary recruit. Within the space of six days he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant to take up the role as Commanding Officer of UX152. This initial posting was the first vehicle in which he was able to display his leadership ability and he set about his duties without delay. It was only a matter of weeks before his influence could be clearly observed as UX152 was transformed into one of the most active and well trained units in USEC history. His exceptional man management skills ensured his roster was full of eager and motivated men. His training programme provided strong direction for his pilots and provided inspiration for the other Forces to follow. At the same time he also found time to contribute postively to the review and upgrading of USEC Manuals and operational planning. A little over a month after assuming command of UX152, Highman obtained a promotion to First Lieutenant. This was in recognition of his performance and in the words of the issuing officer he had exceeded all requirements. By the end of 2008 BGEN Highman received an accelerated promotion to the rank of Captain after sustained high performance both as a leader and in the field. Only months into his USEC career he already held a Chief of Staff Citation, Force Dedication Ribbon and a Gold Star not to mention the numerous ribbons awarded for completing different requirements. The first three months of 2009 saw BGEN Highman rise to a new level in operational excellence. The year began well with Highman earning the Bronze Star then his unit, UX152, was awarded the Outstanding Unit Citation which undoubtedy was due in large part to his efforts. Later that month saw Highman bring up 100 flight hours and 50 combat missions which represented an outstanding contribution considering the amount of behind the scenes work he had completed. A routine promotion to Major followed in February. March saw BGEN Highman earn his second Chief of Staff Citation before being awarded the Leadership Cross (Valor) during Operation Green Field. The second quarter of 2009 began with his unprecendented accelerated promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. He unselfishly agreed to relinquish command of his beloved UX152 unit to take on the challenge of commanding UX302. BGEN Highman did not miss a beat and began the job of transforming UX302 into a top performing unit and without surprise he managed to achieve this. In July he was awarded the Force Commendation Medal for his efforts with UX302. UX302 was of critical importance in ensuring the secure supply of logistics for USEC operations and Highman implemented effective processes to achieve this. The beginning of October produced another first for USEC with BGEN Highman achieving a pass up to and including the I-11 checkride in the ZLA ARTCC Certifications. He was awarded the Air Commendation Medal in honor of this achievement and this was to provide inspiration for other USEC aviators to also obtain this qualification. As 2009 drew to a close UX302 was awarded the Outstanding Unit Citation which again illustrated the commitment and leadership Highman possesses. Both units he commanded in 2009 achieved the distinction of an Outstanding Unit Citation - an achievement BGEN Highman should be extremely proud of. Highman was to excel in the field once again in 2009 as he earned the Silver Star (Valor) for his flying skills and heroism during Operation Island Spear. His promotion to Colonel therefore was a formality as he joined Senior Officer Ranks. On December 31 2009 I had the honor of promoting Joe Highman to the rank of Brigadier General to take up the position of Deputy Chief of Staff. Armed with the knowledge and experience of his prior service as detailed above, this was a natural progression for this exceptional serviceman. His efforts have not let up now he has joined the General ranks. Within the first two weeks of this year his medal tally increased as he was awarded the Special Service Medal and the Force Cross in relation to the first joint operation with the vUSAF - Operation Blackbeard. Another medal was pinned to his chest in March where he was awarded the Air Commendation Medal for his contribution to Operation Helping Hand. Since assuming the role as Deputy Chief of Staff BGEN Highman has continued to produce outstanding results. He was instrumental in driving the rewrite of USEC Standing Orders and has developed the Combat Orientation and Readiness Exercise facility in which Land Force recruits can conduct necessary training in Armed Assault. He has provided excellent support to me as Chief of Staff and has dealt with a number of difficult personnel issues with professionalism. Brigadier General Joe Highman is a worthy receipient of the Unity Medal. His honesty, integrity and commitment are evident for all to see. I am priviliged to present this medal to Brigadier General Highman. *SALUTE Major General Lyndon Mason Chief of Staff Unity Security Force |
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