Two EADS Airmen Win First Air Force Awards Published April 5, 2013 By Tim Jones EADS Rome, NY -- Two New York Air National Guardsmen from the Eastern Air Defense Sector have won First Air Force Warrior of the Year awards. Capt. Brian Freshwater of Poland was named Command and Control (C2) Warrior of the Year in the officer category and Master Sgt. Mark Armitage of Holland Patent was the enlisted C2 winner. The awards are administered by the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region (CONR)-First Air Force, headquartered at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The program recognized individual winners in six different categories. "Being named the best in your field in an organization as large as CONR-1st Air Force is an impressive accomplishment and I congratulate Capt. Freshwater and Master Sgt. Armitage on their achievement," said Col. Dawne L. Deskins, EADS Commander. "Having two of the six individual award winners come from EADS is also a great accomplishment for the unit and is a reflection of the professionalism and dedication of the entire staff." The Eastern Air Defense Sector is headquartered at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome. Staffed by active-duty New York Air National Guardsmen and a Canadian Forces detachment, the unit supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) homeland defense mission. EADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the eastern United States and directs a variety of assets to defend one million square miles of land and sea.