AC1 Kistner retires from the Navy

AC1 Rusty Kistner of Fernley recently retired from the U.S. Navy in a ceremony given in his honor.

Kistner finished his career at Naval Air Station Fallon after reporting to the installation in June 2011 as the senior control tower supervisor. He was responsible for the training and subsequent qualification of air traffic controllers.

Two years later, Kistner was selected as the command fitness leader and successfully restructured the command’s Fitness Enhancement Program.

In addition to his assignment as a senior control tower supervisor, Kistner was selected as Operations Department Sailor of the Quarter Third Quarter 2013 and First Quarter 2014 and awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and his fifth and sixth Good Conduct awards.

Kistner enlisted in the Navy in 1996 and upon completion of basic training, he attended AC (1) School at the Naval Air Technical Training Center at NAS Pensacola, Florida. His first duty station was at NAS Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pa., and he reported to NAS Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La., in 2002. A highlight of his career was being assigned as part of the Joint Task Force Katrina after the devastating hurricane that roared through the New Orleans area.

The task force was credited with saving more than 10,000 people and completing more than 23,000 missions to supply more than 23 million pounds of cargo.

Kistner received the Armed Forces and Humanitarian Service Medals during JTF Katrina.

Kistner returned to Willow Grove and upon completion of his tour, he reported to the Advanced Radar Air Traffic Control School at Pensacola before arriving at NAS Fallon.