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***image1***Sergeant joins team of Karen Yates-Popwell Award recipients stationed at Ramstein
The gavel went down and the decision is in for the Air Force’s 2004 Judge Advocate General Awards.
Master Sgt. William Ritter, 435th Air Base Wing Legal Office NCO in charge of military justice, was recently named the 2004 Karen Yates-Popwell Award winner.
The Karen Yates-Popwell Award recognizes demonstrated excellence, superior initiative, leadership, management skills and professionalism, and is awarded to the outstanding paralegal senior NCO of the year.
Since the conception of the award, there have been a total of four recipients, thus making Sergeant Ritter the fifth to ever be recognized. With that, Sergeant Ritter also joins the ranks as one of three recipients stationed here.
“Having three of the five winners of this Air Force-level award right here at Ramstein gives testament to the quality of legal service the KMC receives,” said Senior Master Sgt. Rodney Wilson, legal office superintendent and previous recipient of the award.
“Over many years, Bill Ritter has earned the respect of so many of us in the JAG community. What sets (Sergeant) Ritter apart … is his heartfelt desire to be the best senior NCO he can be,” said Sergeant Wilson.
“The NCO creed … on his wall is not just a decoration, he holds those words as close to his heart as he does his family,” said Sergeant Wilson. “This award is simply an honor in a continuing career that will see him as a chief master sergeant,” he said.
Sergeant Ritter began his career 23 years ago as an Air Force personnelist. After four years of service, he voluntarily retrained as a legal services specialist in 1986. He entered into the legal core with no experience and his journey has since led him to the top of his career field.
Excelling is not anything new for Sergeant Ritter as his past experiences stand as a testament to his abilities to excel at whatever the task.
“One of the more rewarding challenges as a paralegal was when I was given a charter in Singapore (497th Combat Training Squadron) to build a legal office,” said Sergeant Ritter.
Given the assignment, Sergeant Ritter single handedly achieved this objective, resulting in legal services and capabilities spanning more than 15,000 miles in nine different countries. All were prepared in a moment’s notice.
Sergeant Ritter considers himself an NCO first, and holds true to the creed that hangs in his office. He credits motivation, driving force and the support of his family for his personal and professional accomplishments.
Sergeant Ritter has been married to his wife, Karen for 22 years and has two children, Robert, 19, and Andrea, 17.
“Family is absolutely paramount,” said Sergeant Ritter. “They know my heart and they know what I go through. This would mean nothing without them.”
Sergeant Ritter hopes to make his next promotion to senior master sergeant, but he remains postured to serve in any capacity needed. “Service of the heart” is what you can expect, he said.
Sergeant Ritter, alongside other outstanding 2004 JAG award winners will be recognized during the official ceremony at the Keystone Conference, Colorado in October.
The award honors Chief Master Sergeant Karen E. Yates-Popwell, U.S. Air Force (retired), who formerly held the position of senior paralegal manager to the judge advocate general.
