Chief Master Sgt. Dustin Troyer’s courageous journey from Milford to the Pentagon was celebrated on a national level this year when he won a Salute to Servicemembers Award.
One person from each branch of the armed forces receives the honor each year.
Over his 25 years in the Air Force, Troyer has obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, had 13 assignments and spent time in 32 countries. He has served at multiple overseas locations, supporting Operations Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, Resolute Support and Spartan Shield.
The National American Legion Auxiliary presented Troyer with the honor at its National Convention in New Orleans on Aug. 27.
While receiving his award, Troyer told the crowd he came from a family who served in uniform and have continued to serve even after their service ended.
He said he loves being a service member.
“My grandpa Tom Sieck back in Pleasant Dale served in the Korean War and, in Milford, my great-uncle Orve Troyer served in World War II, and I have another great-uncle, Wayne Troyer, who also served in the army,” he said. “I've got a lot of their military gear, memorabilia and uniforms at my house, and those are things that I honor.”
He also thanked his wife, Mellissa, and their two daughters, Madison and Acelyn. He said he would not have gotten to where he is today without their unwavering support.
He used his time on stage to encourage young people to be open to the opportunities in front of them and take advantage of them.
“It doesn't matter where you come from, as long as you're willing to sometimes take the uncomfortable approach of taking on something that you think is maybe beyond you, or that you're just not sure that you're even qualified to do or capable of doing,” he said. “Sometimes, we sell ourselves short on these things and it’s just realizing, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity.
“It might be uncomfortable, but sometimes we need to be uncomfortable and just go with what our gut tells us.’”
Troyer graduated from Milford High School in 1998 and spent six months at Ohio University. He continually felt drawn to the nearby recruiting station and enlisted in the Air Force in March of 1999.
“I just wanted something more,” he said. “I just knew there was something more that I had an opportunity to do and see.”
Troyer started as an air traffic controller at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and began cross-training so he could move into his longtime career of airfield management.
He then served at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas before being deployed to Osan Air Base in South Korea post-9/11. From 2003 to 2006, he and his family were sent to Aviano Air Base in Italy. He then worked for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for three years at the Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base in Germany.
“I was able to serve my country before I knew what was coming with 9/11, and then after 9/11 hit, that just kind of amps up your patriotism even more, and you're even more proud of what you do,” he said.
From 2009 to 2013, he was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. He then went to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey for a year before going to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa until 2018.
Troyer was picked up for a special staff assignment with the U.S. Air Force Central Command at Shaw Air Base in South Carolina until 2021. He then returned to Incirlik Air Base before being moved to Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath in England, where he was named chief.
A year later, he became airfield management functional manager at Headquarters, Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
Last February, he stepped into his current role as the airfield management career field manager at the Pentagon. In this role, he serves as the principal advisor to the deputy chief of staff for operations and oversees 828 airmen across the world. He plays an integral role in running 89 airfields.
Troyer’s grandmother, JoAnn Sieck, worked with Pleasant Dale American Legion Auxiliary Post 354 to nominate him for the award. Then, the Department of Nebraska sent the nomination on to the national level. Sieck said she, along with the rest of the family, is very proud of Troyer.
Troyer, also a member of American Legion Post 354, said he was floored when he got the email confirming he had won. He said winning a national award was something he could not imagine, and his first call was to his grandmother.
“Really, neither one of us could believe it,” Sieck said. “I mean, most of that phone call was ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’”
Troyer said he feels extremely fulfilled knowing he gets to get up every morning and be part of something so impactful to the country and the world. As part of his career, he gets to see those impacts, and he always reminds his airmen of the importance of their individual efforts.
“At the end of the day, I see that what we do matters,” he said. “It makes a difference to keeping America safe and protecting the world.”
