Misawa Command Surprises Departing Exchange GM With Award

After 2½ years as general manager of the Misawa AFB Exchange, Kristine Cowley has returned to the States, where she is now general manager of the Nellis AFB Exchange. Her Misawa teammates threw her a surprise going-away party–and there was a surprise within the surprise.

At the party, Col. William Bernhard, 35^th Mission Support Group commander, presented Cowley with the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, which recognizes those who have provided outstanding service to the Air Force, for her distinguished performance as general manager of the Misawa Exchange from September 2018 to April 2021.

“During this period, Ms. Cowley provided outstanding community support to the Misawa Installation, consisting of the 35^th Fighter Wing, the Naval Air Facility Misawa and six tenant units,” the award citation said.  “She spearheaded all community support and relations providing superior customer service at every opportunity through challenging readiness exercises, support to unplanned Patriot Express rotator outages, and pandemic operations without flaw.”

Cowley coordinated her team’s efforts with Defense Commissary Agency partners to ensure continuous service to more than 11,000 Americans serving in a remote location away from many of their usual conveniences. Misawa is roughly 430 miles north of Tokyo.

“Her leadership and dedication to the installation improved morale and aided mission accomplishment of vital joint operations,” the citation said. “Her outstanding accomplishments reflect great credit upon herself and the United States Air Force.”

Cowley, who has been with the Exchange 19 years, believes that the credit shouldn’t go just to her.

“It’s truly a team effort by the entire Exchange and the team on the ground here in Misawa to provide support to our community,” she said.

35^th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Jesse Friedel spoke of the outstanding community support and presented his commander’s coin social-distance style—by tossing it to her.

Misawa isn’t the first time that Cowley has illustrated the Exchange’s “We Go Where You Go” mission. She was the Exchange general manager in Iraq before she transferred to Japan.

“Providing a taste of home in a remote environment is an extremely rewarding experience and there truly is no greater honor than to serve those who serve,” she said. “I am grateful to have been part of Team Misawa and will miss this team and community as this chapter comes to a close. I look forward to the next adventure as my family and I transition to Nellis AFB.”