An Airman walks into work believing it is another day at the office and is shocked to find out he has won an award for going above and beyond.

The Focus Five Six NCO council carried out a similar scenario for Airman 1st Class Sean Jones, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron storage and issue apprentice, Jan. 20 when he was awarded, in the presence of his unit, for demonstrating excellence as a Thunderbolt.

“The idea behind the Focus Five Six Junior Enlisted Excellence Award is to ensure we recognize the Airmen who are going above and beyond,” said Tech. Sgt. Brandon Layman, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management training NCO-in-charge. “This type of recognition award is the first we’ve ever done. We came up with the idea of exemplifying the airman concept to help junior Airmen add another piece to their enlisted evaluation.”

When an Airman comes to the base, the mentorship program encourages Thunderbolts to participate in these types of private events.

“The Five Six council focuses on networking and building upon what we are supposed to be already doing as NCOs,” Layman said. “Within the organization, we have committees that focus on mentoring programs for junior Airmen. Airmen have different rank tiers, but we want to have that communication between us.”

This professional organization from Luke Air Force Base is not contained solely within the Air Force. Any E-5 to E-6 military personnel on the installation can be part of the Focus Five Six council.

“Every installation has a professional organization in each of the tiers,” said Tech. Sgt. Corliss Layman, 56th LRS central storage NCO in charge. “I feel it’s important to create an interactive environment that encourages the exchange of ideas through networking and personal relationships within the community. Through our involvement in activities, we can continue to build those relationships while promoting morale and teamwork.”