Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. -- On September 15, 2025, the National Safety Council awarded four Airmen in their Class of 2025: Rising Stars of Safety national awards ceremony in Denver, Colorado. Since 2010, the NSC has been honoring the next generation of safety professionals through the Rising Stars of Safety award and the Department of the Air Force has had an awardee every year since the inception of the award. The Rising Star is those under 40 who show dedication to safety leadership at work.
The NSC is America’s leading mission-based nonprofit safety advocate organization. NSC honors excellence in safety through a variety of awards and recognition programs. These recognition opportunities uphold the best safety practices, programs, professionals, advocates and innovations. The Rising Star awards were presented in conjunction with the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, the nation’s largest gathering of safety and health professionals, held September 15-17, 2025.
The Rising Stars of Safety winners are young safety professionals who provide safety leadership in their organization and are dedicated to continuous safety improvement. Organizations around the world can nominate their safety professionals, whether they are NSC members or not.
This year’s Department of the Air Force Safety winners are:
- Technical Sgt. Clement Bouloiseau, Occupational Safety Superintendent, 9th Reconnaissance Wing
- Technical Sgt. Ryan Hennessy, Occupational Safety NCOIC, 18th Wing Safety
- Master Sgt. Corey Holt, Accessories Functional Area Manager, Air Force Global Strike Command
- Master Sgt. Shawn Johnston, Occupational Safety Manager, 48th Fighter Wing
At Beale Air Force Base in Marysville, California, Bouloiseau advises Air Force leaders on mission risks to minimize loss and increase mission capabilities in the work force. He trains a continual stream of new safety professionals to ensure quality safety professionals provide guidance and counsel to leaders around the DAF. They enhance mission capability by reducing injury and degradation of vital assets.
“Without safety contributions, we would be significantly less effective in relating to the force, and our lethality and readiness would decrease,” said Bouloiseau. “We as safety professionals, toggle the complexities of accomplishing our mission and preventing the loss of our greatest resources.”
Bouloiseau was deployed to an undisclosed location where the U.S. Central Command’s commander stated his number one priority for the location was to expand the airfield ramp to facilitate safer flight operations. Bouloiseau set into action to complete a deliberate risk analysis for the ramp design project. The risk assessment expanded to far more than just flight operations due to the large number of F-15E support operations. He led a 12-person safety team that executed F-15E aircraft dispersal operations and threat response. Overall, the team he led ensured all personnel and aircraft maintenance operated in accordance with occupational safety, flight safety, industrial hygiene, and aircraft maintenance safety standards. His quick and decisive leadership enabled the safe movement of 120 Airmen and $64.8M in assets while incurring zero mishaps.
At Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, Hennessy conducts mishap investigations and annual unit safety inspections. He also advises command teams on potential
mission risk factors and promotes safety across the base. Hennessy directly leads efforts to protect personnel and resources within the Air Force’s largest combat wing. As a risk advisor and program manager, he identifies and mitigates hazards impacting operational activities and critical infrastructure.
“I am humbled to receive this award along with the other award winners,” said Hennessy. “We have accomplished amazing feats in the safety world, and I credit this honor to my many mentors and leaders who have provided invaluable mentorship and guidance.”
Hennessey plans and directs safety program assessments in accordance with OSHA, National Fire Protection Association, DoD and DAF instructions for more than 77 organizations, 4,400 facilities, and an estimated population of 80,000 across Japan and Hawaii. He oversees the implementation and execution of several major safety programs such as Fall Protection, Hazardous Energy Control and Confined Space.
As the functional area manager for aircraft systems at Air Force Global Strike Command located at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Holt has a broad spectrum of responsibilities related to taking care of aircraft and the people who maintain and employ them. As a functional area manager, he bridges the gap between safety and tactical execution.
“I am just one piece to the puzzle,” said Holt. “The real heroes are out in the field doing the work day-to-day and living up to the standards we set for them. Words on paper are meaningless without them.”
Holt was part of the Aircrew Egress Senior Executive Working Group, which informally guides the Air Force's ejection systems maintenance policy, and recognized there were significant gaps in technical guidance. They carefully crafted and embedded language in nine technical orders to ensure safety concepts were immediately available to anyone performing the task, regardless of their background. By blending safety procedures with the operational task itself, Holt and the working group improved the project’s visibility and application. The project makes maintainers safer and improves the quality of their work, which is vital to keeping ejection systems operational and preserving aircrew safety should the ejection system ever be needed.
At the 48th Fighter Wing in Suffolk, England, Johnston helps key decision makers eliminate unnecessary risk in the field through inspections, mishap investigations, exercises and site surveys. He works directly with shops at his base as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe to weave safety requirements into their day-to-day activities.
“Through my safety experience, I wanted to develop easier training practices for trainers, students, and organizations by altering them to be more effective,” said Johnston. “I looked for feedback from the trainee, supervisor, and leadership level to tailor products to best fit their needs collectively. If there were gaps in programs or training, I took time to identify the root causes and advocate for change.”
Johnston was hand-selected by the Safety Career Field Manager as the project lead for a 15-member team on a year and a half
long project to produce the first-ever Safety fall protection Qualification Training Package for 1,400 total force safety members. This training package set the standard for baseline learning and knowledge for fall protection fundamentals for Air Force Safety Professionals. The material is published on E-Pubs and available to be used for training world-wide.
All of this year’s Rising Stars of Safety expressed their surprise and excitement being chosen for this honor. They also shared a commitment to using their expertise to cultivate future safety leaders. This is just the beginning of their impact and they are motivated to continue shaping and evolving the future of DAF Safety.
Congratulations to all of our Air Force Rising Stars!