Congratulations to Capt. Peter Mastro, who was selected as the #1 student from all 2007 Squadron Officer School classes. Capt. Mastro, currently a graduate student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management, was awarded the 2008 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award for this accomplishment. Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne presented the award, along with three other leadership awards, earlier this month at Maxwell AFB.

The citation accompanying Capt. Mastro’s award reads: “Capt. Peter C. Mastro distinguished himself by his contributions to Air University professional military education while attending Squadron Officer School from 29 May 2007 to 29 June 2007. Capt. Mastro was chosen as the number one graduate among three thousand forty-one United States Air Force, international officers, and Department of Defense civilian students for his exceptional initiative, enthusiasm and leadership qualities. He was an excellent role model in several extremely challenging leadership situations. Capt. Mastro’s ability to consistently demonstrate outstanding formal and informal communication skills had significant impact on flight cohesion. Additionally, he demonstrated impressive professional qualities and interpersonal skill that highlighted him as a talented motivator and leader. Capt. Mastro’s outstanding performance reflects great credit upon himself, Squadron Officer School, Air University, and the United States Air Force.”