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ron henderson
Ron Henderson, recipient of the Zuckert Award

Former Oak Ridge Man Receives Military Honors

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – A former Oak Ridge man recently received military honors. Air Force manager Ron Henderson received the 2010 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award during a June 29 ceremony presided by the Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon.

Henderson is the deputy assistant chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration.

He earned the annual award that recognizes outstanding achievements by a top-level Air Force manager in the ranks of brigadier through lieutenant general or civilian equivalents.

At the Pentagon, Mr. Henderson was cited for providing outstanding leadership with unparalleled success by orchestrating hundreds of activities in support of one of the Air Force's top priorities "Continuing to Strengthen the Nuclear Enterprise."

"Though presented to an individual, a prestigious award like the Zuckert is truly a reflection of a team serving together to pursue a cause that is vitally important to the U.S. Air Force," Mr. Henderson said. "Our assistant chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration (AF/A10) team has effectively handled the rigors associated with the Air Force secretary and chief of staff's top priority."

"The dedicated men and women of A10 have invested their talents, skills, energy and passion to achieving the goal of re-establishing USAF credentials as an effective steward of our nation's nuclear deterrence mission," he said. "The Zuckert Award is a worthy tribute to the entire A10 team and I am very honored to receive the award on their behalf."

His direct efforts optimized Air Force contributions to the U.S. deterrent posture through a unique nuclear posture review and new strategic arms treaty approach crafting language capturing national goals. He crafted a comprehensive nuclear enterprise report signed by the Secretary of the Air Force to the Secretary of Defense illustrating the reinvigoration efforts and effects of the previous two years.

Mr. Henderson also shaped a strategic offense issue team that won $420 million in fiscal 2011 budget review and $4.7 billion in Future Years Defense Program dollars to reduce critical risk to the nation's nuclear mission.

The award is named after Eugene M. Zuckert who served as secretary of the Air Force from January 1961 to September 1965.

Henderson was born in Maryville, Tenn. and moved to Oak Ridge as a small child where he attended grammar school, junior high school and high school in Oak Ridge where he graduated in 1965. He was Captain of the Oak Ridge High School Basketball Team, President of the Student Council and a member of the National Honor Society during the 1964-65 School Year. Henderson graduated from The University of Tennessee in 1969. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the USAF on graduation day in 1969.

Henderson's mother, Faye Henderson, and brothers, Mike and Jeff Henderson, still live in Oak Ridge.

Published July 5, 2011

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