AMC awards outstanding lawyer

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jared Duhon
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  A Team Dover civilian with the 436th Airlift Wing Staff Judge Advocate office earned the Air Mobility Command's Outstanding Civilian Attorney of the Year Award for 2013.

Carmel-Ann Feliciani, 436th AW/JA legal chief of general law, does not think she did anything special, but is grateful for the award from AMC.

"I don't do my job because I want to receive awards; I do it because I love it," said Feliciani. "I have been employed by the Air Force since I graduated from law school. I don't think I could have won this award on my own; my team is amazing."

Lt. Col. Scott Boehne, 436th AW staff judge advocate, appreciates the diligence and enthusiasm that Feliciani puts into her efforts every day. She has a great capability and interest in developing new JAGs and paralegals, both as professionals and leaders, he said.

"Feliciani does an outstanding job in everything she does," said Boehne. "Very knowledgeable and helpful, she never passes up an opportunity to help anyone who asks. Her character is a part of this office and makes it a pleasure to work here."

One project Feliciani worked, developed and taught, was a monthly union engagement and employee discipline course to 80 Team Dover members.

"I am really proud of this event," said Feliciani. "The training was for supervisors of civilian employees to help them understand the labor management issues and how to deal with difficult employees and how to take disciplinary action."

Feliciani never declines an opportunity to pass her knowledge on to new judge advocates, helping them improve.

"It has been amazing to work with Feliciani," said Capt. Jennifer Zyznar, 436 AW Legal assistant staff judge advocate. "She is my go to person whenever I have a question. She knows everything and has been truly instrumental in teaching me how to do my job and how to do it well. It's very exciting to hear she won the award; she deserves the award."

General Law is Feliciani's specialty, which encompasses labor issues, contracts, environmental and ethics.

"With this particular job, I get to do a little bit of everything," said Feliciani. "I get to do trial work, research and writing; and I love that. General Law encompasses labor and employment issues and union negotiations; we review every contract over $500,000. We are required to have an air permit, review if an Airman can accept a gift or not and can a commander speak at a Memorial Day event off base. I like being able to do different things, I am never bored."

Feliciani said encouragement from her family is what motivated her to become a lawyer and later to work for the Air Force as a civilian.

"My father was in the Navy, his brothers were Marines and sisters were in the Army. My mother's brother was in the Army and mother's sister was in the Army Air Corps," said Feliciani. "One of the reasons I joined and love education is because they used to tell me 'this is America and you can be anything you want to be.'"