George E. Schafer Award
Criteria for Selection
The intent of this award is to recognize outstanding contributions of Department of the Air Force flight surgeons to the health, welfare, safety, and mission effectiveness of Department of the Air Force aerospace personnel as well as to the vitality of the specialty of Aerospace Medicine over an extended period. Emphasis is on total contributions over an extended period of time rather than on singular or short-term accomplishments. Particular emphasis is on excellence and accomplishment in program management and administration.
Eligibility
There are no restrictions as to rank, age, or membership in the Society. Nominees must be Regular, Reserve, Guard, or retired flight surgeons. Nominees should be flight surgeons who have actively engaged in support of the flying, space, and special operations missions during their careers.
Nominations
Members of the Board of Governors of the Society and previous winners of this award may make nominations. The Chairman of the Awards Committee of the Society will prepare and send a letter to the members of the Board and post a call for nominations in the FlightLines publication requesting nominations for the award. The nomination will consist of a one-page narrative summary outlining the nominee’s qualifications for the award and accomplishments. Nomination packages must be received by the Chairman of the Awards Committee.
Award Selection
The Chairman of the Awards Committee will prepare a ballot on which will appear the names of the nominees. The ballot will consist of all nominations received in the current year as well as all nominations received (but not selected) during the past two years. The ballot, as well as a copy of the nominees’ nomination narratives, will be provided to each voting member of the Board of Governors.
Each member will rank the nominees after scoring according to the scheme below or write “abstain” on the ballot.
Scoring scheme is:
10 points for Leadership in the Aerospace Community;
10 points for Expertise in the Aerospace Medicine Community;
10 points for Level and Breadth of Impact on Aerospace Medicine and the Air Force Medical Service.
The winner will be the nominee receiving the highest rankings. The President of the Society shall not cast a vote except in the event of a tie vote between the nominees or a tie vote between the number of abstentions and the nominee receiving the highest number of votes. In such a case, the President shall cast the tie-breaking vote. If, however, the number of abstentions exceeds the number of votes cast for the nominee receiving the highest vote total, no winner will be declared and the award winner and the award will not be given that year. In the event that only a single name is entered in nomination for the award in a given year, the Board of Governors will vote as to whether that person should receive the award. Following tabulation of votes, the Chairman of the Awards Committee will provide the name of the winner to the Society’s President before the winner is announced to the Board. The President shall have the final right to approve the winner as recipient of the award. If the President does not so approve, the award will not be given in that year.
Award
The President of the Society and/or Chair of the Awards Committee will announce the award winner at the Society of USAF Flight Surgeons Luncheon held during the annual Scientific Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association. A plaque will be presented to the award winner at this luncheon. Additionally, beginning with the 2007 award, the winner will be awarded a lifetime membership in the Society.