MTMC award winners meet mission challenges
They both have identical memories - but, experienced a world apart.
The two Army winners of MTMC 2000 Excellence in Traffic Management Awards remember long hours, unprecedented requirements and a transportation system challenged to deliver equipment and supplies amid the rugged mountains of Albania and other nearby countries.
Hargrove served as a traffic management specialist at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, McAlester, Okla.
Thomas served as a non-commissioned officer in charge of transportation at Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Distribution Depot Europe, in Germersheim, Germany.
Both transporters were presented the MTMC awards Oct. 5 by Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Privratsky, commander.
The two Army transporters were among seven Department of Defense members honored during the National Defense Transportation Association's annual convention in Albuquerque, N.M.
When the Kosovo conflict began, the working life Hargrove knew at the McAlester Army Ammunition plant suddenly ended.
Workdays extended to 14-16 hours, remembers Hargrove.
As a team leader, Hargrove led an eight-member traffic team responsible for routing, ordering, documenting and shipping complex shipments in short time periods. The eight-member team was entirely composed of women.
Volunteers from throughout the ammunition plant staff were recruited to reinforce the team. Many administrative workers swapped business attire for working blue denim. The added workers helped complete container stuffing and documentation requirements.
They got the job done.
In all, McAlester shipped 385 containers containing 5,362 short tons of 750-pound bombs from May 28-June 3, 1999.
"(We) finished the mission one and one-half days early while simultaneously completing Operation Golden Cargo 99 and Operation Turbo Cad 99," said Col. Patrick Dunkle, commander, in an award recommendation for Hargrove.
"What a wonderful feeling to accomplish an event of that nature for our military men and women," said Hargrove.
"The people of McAlester have a lot of pride in their work."
The Kosovo conflict represented a similar challenging atmosphere for Thomas in Germany.
Thomas's depot faced the brunt of supply requests from military forces deploying for the Kosovo conflict. The depot provided rations, water, clothing, tents, lumber and related materials.
"We spend a lot of long hours reacting to the contingency," said Thomas.
Depot supplies were shipped to Bosnia, Italy, Turkey, Albania and Macedonia.
"One of the most formidable challenges was the movement of large volumes of material over a degraded highway system in 20-foot containers," said Thomas' nomination form.
This movement of material through various countries required not only diplomatic clearance, but also additional types of somewhat confusing customs paperwork required by the various newly formed states in the Balkans."
When the conflict ended, Thomas said one of his most challenging tasks was to obtain clearances for commercial trucks to travel in Kosovo.
"I'm honored considering all of the other outstanding individuals in the Defense Logistics Agency," said Thomas.
Other MTMC award winners included:
Navy -- Linda Harman, marine transportation specialist, Military Sealift Command Southwest Asia, Bahrain.
Air Force - Senior Master Sgt. Derrick Candler, superintendent , Traffic Management Flight, Osan Air Force Base, Korea.
Marine Corps - Dan Duffy, freight supervisor, Traffic Management Office, U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C.
Coast Guard - Susan Hubbard, traffic manager, U.S. Coast Guard Finance Center, Chesapeake, Va.
Army-Air Force Exchange Service - Alan French, traffic manager, Giessen Distribution Center, Giessen, Germany. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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