Three Team Dover members receive STEP promotions Published Dec. 23, 2009 By 2nd Lt Abigail Wise 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Every year the Air Force provides a limited number of slots for Stripes for Exceptional Performer promotions. That number is usually less than 200 Air Force wide. This promotion is incredibly competitive, and each base usually has approximately two or three available. They are given to individuals nominated as outstanding performers. One may only be nominated once in their career, and it should not be used as a below-the-zone promotion. This year, the packages were due in by noon on 4 Dec. and were put together carefully by each nominees' rater. Col. Manson Morris, 436th Airlift Wing Commander, suprised three Team Dover outstanding performers with early holiday gifts on 22 Dec. Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Holton 436th Force Support Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of first time airman course was STEP promoted to Master Sgt. "She had been on leave, because she's in the process of moving, so I called her and told her I needed her to come in and brief Col. Morris on why we need more volunteers for the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign. She came in and did her brief, then Col. Morris said to her 'you're out of uniform, you're wearing the wrong rank' and Chief Evalle presented her with the promotion binder," said Senior Master Sgt. Tangie Ulrich, 436th Force Support Squadron career assistance advisor. Staff Sgt. Jared Flores, 436th Aerial Maintenance Squadron hydraulic craftsman was STEP promoted to Tech. Sgt. "I was in Alaska with the C-5M Super Galaxy, and my shop called asking for personal information like where I was born, my birthday, performance bullets, and for some action photos of me working. They pretended it was a follow-up on a previously-won award. It wasn't until Chief Evalle took out the STEP promotion binder that I knew." Staff Sgt. Philip Palacios 436th Airlift Wing non-commissioned officer in charge of protocol was STEP promoted to Tech. Sgt. "He was actually on leave, but luckily hadn't left town just yet, so I called him and told him that Col. Morris needed to see the both of us and that it was urgent. So he came into the office thinking something terrible had happened," said Captain Kenneth McAllister, 436th Airlift Wing chief of protocol. Please congratulate these airmen on their promotion and hard work.