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The U.S. Air Force has awarded Kenneth native Justin Rust the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for Spring 2020.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Meritorious Service Medal, approved by the North Atlantic Council, is awarded to military and civilian personnel who have been commended for providing exceptional or remarkable service to NATO.
Chief Master Sergeant Rust earned the recognition for his work as squadron superintendent in aircraft maintenance production at Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base, Germany.
While there, he integrated a multinational workforce of almost 300 military and civilian staff members from 19 different career fields into one team.
German Major General Jorg Lebert congratulated Rust after learning of the nomination in July.
“You have taken on the responsibility for a multi-million dollar budget and the control of a multi-billion stock of resources with diligence and the professional skill needed to ensure efficient use of our resources,” wrote Lebert, commander of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force.
“And you have also optimized the training and qualification upgrades of your personnel with a tremendous positive effect on the overall maintenance capabilities.”
Rust is one of 50 recipients out of 20,000 service personnel to receive the award.
“What a humbling honor to be presented an award by Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and to have my two-star German general reach out and congratulate me was very unexpected,” Rust told the Star Herald.
But Rust said he doesn’t deserve all the praise himself.
“This took an entire team to produce these results and to have a team from 16 nations to accomplish the things we did, I am very proud of everyone that helped reach our goals and strengthen the alliance,” Rust said.
“A person does not accomplish their goals without strong teammates and I was lucky enough to be a part of it.”
Several criteria are considered when assessing nominations for the award:
•showing exceptional leadership or personal example.
•performing acts of courage in difficult or dangerous circumstances.
•making an outstanding individual contribution to a NATO sponsored program or activity.
•enduring particular hardship or deprivation in the interest of NATO.
Since entering the Air Force in 2000, Rust has held various positions in aircraft maintenance and training, including assignments on bases in Mississippi, Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and Germany.
He and his wife, Judith, and daughter Inesita recently moved from Europe to Tucson, Arizona, for his latest assignment at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
“I just went over 20 years in August, so what a great feeling,” he said. “I plan to continue serving for awhile, since I am finally back to my favorite aircraft that I worked on for my first 12 years of service, the C-130 aircraft.”
Rust, a 2000 graduate of Luverne High School, is the son of Kraig and Pat Rust and grandson of Bud and Gloria Rust, all of Kenneth. His grandmother, Joan Heeren, lives in Luverne.