Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

October 13, 2010, Front Page

Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Sischo awarded Air Force top Noncombat Medal

By Peter Spicer

Neillsville resident Alice Sischo recently received the top medal the U. S. Air Force can award a noncombat service member.

Sischo, who has lived in the area for nearly 20 years, has been an Air National Guard member for 29 years and had been deployed overseas twice.

Sischo grew up in New York, left the state when she was 18 and enlisted in the Air National Guard in Washington soon after.  She met her husband Richard, a Neillsville native, in Colorado.

The couple moved to Willard in 1991 and then moved to Neillsville two years later. With the Air National Guard, Sischo worked as a ground radio operator until approximately 1996 and then worked in Plant and Implementation until 2003.  She became a First Sergeant for the Mission Support Group in 1993 and reported directly to the group commander.

As First Sergeant, Sischo explained her job was to “basically take care of people” and discipline others when needed.  She joked her job was a cross between a high-school principal and a “soccer mom”.

Sischo travels to Madison one weekend per month as part of the 115^th Fighter Wing, but stated she is always “on duty 24/7”.

Sischo has worked at area Kwik trip® locations for 17 years and is currently employed at Loyal’s Kwik Trip®.

Sischo was deployed overseas for a total of six years, including stints in Kuwait beginning in 2006 and the United Arab Emerites in 2008, and worked with security forces. “It wasn’t fun, but it was an awesome experience,” Sischo admitted about her overseas deployments.

While overseas, Sischo took pride in helping change fellow service people’s lives by pointing them in the right direction if they started getting off course in life and having problems.

According to the certificate she received July 7, with her Meritorious Service Medal, “Sischo was instrumental in the 115^th Fighter Wing’s successful Alert Forces Evaluation, personally commended by the 386^th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron commander for her dedication to duty and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty and key to the 380^th Air Expeditionary Wing, achieving an Outstanding Unit Award.”

The certificate also stated “Sergeant Sischo was also recognized as the 115^th Fighter Wing First Sergeant of the Year in both 2004 and 2006.  Sergeant Sischo’s leadership and dedication were driving factors in the success of the Wisconsin Air National Guard Junior Enlisted Orientation Program.  She spearheaded an in-depth orientation to the 115^th Fighter Wing for state Junior Enlisted that prior to 2005 didn’t exist, thereby exposing members from other units to the mission.”

“Sergeant Sischo’s tireless commitment to the 115^th Fighter Wing Family Program since 2005 was recognized when she was presented the outstanding Military Liaison award for the state in 2007,” the certificate stated.  “The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant Sischo reflect great credit upon herself, the Air National Guard and the United States Air Force.”

Sischo plans to continue serving the country with the Wisconsin Air National Guard and is currently serving a three-year term as a human resources advisor.  As an advisor, she reports to the wing commander about matters of diversity, force development and force management.

Although Sischo could have retired nine years ago, she continues to serve because of her patriotism and embraces the “opportunity to help other people.”

The 115^th Fighter Wing “is like family,” said Sischo, who explained serving with the Air National Guard is an “opportunity to make a difference.”

Neillsville resident Alice Sischo of the Air National Guard poses Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, with the medal and certificate she received from the U. S. Air Force in July for winning the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding achievement.  The award is the top medal the Air force awards for a noncombat service member.

(Photo by Peter Spicer/Clark County Press)