irst Lt. Jane Larned was selected as the 21st Space Wing's First Knight award winner for the week of July 31, 2008. This award is designed to recognize outstanding Airmen each week for the work they do each day. (Air Force photo)

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1st Lt. Jane Larned, 6th Space Warning Squadron Deputy Operations Flight Commander, performs missile warning and space surveillance operations at the Cape Cod Air Force Station, Mass. Lieutenant Larned was selected as the 21st Space Wing's First Knight award winner for the week of July 31, 2008. This award is designed to recognize outstanding Airmen each week for the work they do each day. (Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alvin Dean III)

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First Knight

Published July 28, 2008

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- First Lt. Jane "Janie" Larned was selected for the First Knight award for the week of July 31, 2008. This award is designed to recognize outstanding Airmen each week for the work they do each day:

Name: 1st Lt. Jane Larned

Unit: 6th Space Warning Squadron

Duty Title: Deputy Commander, Operations Flight

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va

Time in Air Force: 3 years

Hobbies: Soccer, running, swimming and going to the beach

Favorite music: Pop and Rock

Last good book read: "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert

How has the Air Force impacted your life? "The Air Force has considerably changed my life. The most significant impact is that I have dedicated my life to service. I am very proud to be a space professional; however, there is nothing that can compare to how I feel when I volunteer to spend the day with veterans. During the three years I have been an officer, I have truly developed a passion for visiting veterans. From hearing war stories to playing cards, those moments I share with "our nation's greatest" have changed my life forever."

Why they were selected for this award: "Lieutenant Larned epitomizes selflessness and operational excellence. She has a phenomenal work ethic and has done an outstanding job leading her missile warning operations crew. Her efforts were recognized with the 6th SWS "CGO of the Quarter" award and the 6th SWS 2007 "Crew of the Year" distinction. Lieutenant Larned always projects a positive attitude and has an uncanny ability to lift the spirits of those with whom she interacts. She leads the squadron's Adopt-A-Ward program, a community outreach initiative in which members of the 6th SWS visit with elderly veterans, many of whom served in World War II." - Maj. Alesandro Smith, 6th Space Warning Squadron Assistant Director of Operations