Wabash, IN: Lieutenant Colonel Christopher M. Kuester, a 1992 Southwood High School graduate, will address the academic honorees of MSD Wabash County during the annual Academic Honors Banquet on March 17, 2020 at the Honeywell Center in Legacy Hall. Colonel Kuester entered the Air Force in 1997 as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps from Purdue University. He commanded the 424 th Air Base Squadron at Chievres AB Belgium, Deputy Commander Mission Support Group at Andrews AFB Maryland and served on the headquarter’s staff of Air Education and Training Command. He has also been the Chief of Air Operations Center Airspace in the US Air Force’s Europe Air Operations Center. He has deployed for Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM six times. Lieutenant Colonel Chris M. Kuester is currently the Air Force Representative to the Federal Aviation Administration in the Western Service Area. He is the sole Air Force liaison in the Western Service Area that encompasses 17 states from Colorado to Guam with 77 units at 50 locations and 27 USAF Air Traffic facilities. His responsibilities include coordinating military airspace changes, pilot deviations and the focal point of all Air Force concerns with the FAA for ATC and airspace issues. Members of the media are invited to come listen to Lieutenant Colonel Kuester. His speech will begin at 7:15pm.