Colonel Wilbanks and Sergeant Smith won National instructor of the year for Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. There were multiple people who won out of a limited amount of people. The award they received was outstanding instructor award.

“There are 199 instructors receiving this award out of 1927 instructors worldwide that teach Air Force Junior ROTC,” Colonel Wilbanks said.

This is not the first time either of them has received this winning.

“Both MSgt. Smith and I have received it several times. The last time for me was in the school year 2008-2009,” Wilbanks said.

To be chosen as a winner, there is a process that they must go through.

“Your name and record goes before a selection board at Headquarters Air Force JROTC at Maxwell AFB and you compete against all the other instructors and then the top get selected,” Wilbanks selected.

As a group, they won a separate award that helped them with winning the national award.

“Our Unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Award with Merit, the highest award a unit can receive, so this played an important role in us being selected,” Wilbanks said.

The reaction of Colonel Wilbanks after finding out he was selected as the winner was joyful and thankful.

“It is an honor to be selected and I am so blessed to have the great support from Mr. Williams and all the staff here at WEHS along with the support of the entire WISD and Dr. Vinson,” Wilbanks said.