Naval Reserve Element wins prestigious award

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- The U.S. Naval Reserve Element of the Joint Transportation Reserve Unit was awarded the prestigious Bilger Award for calendar year 1999 here last month.

The reserve unit supports U.S. Transportation Command headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. USTRANSCOM is the single manager of America's global defense transportation system.

The Leo V. Bilger Award was named for the late Navy Reserve Capt. Leo V. Bilger, (ret), who served in various posts with the Naval Reserve Association. NRA, in conjunction with Commander, Naval Surface Reserve Force (COMNAVSURFRESFOR), established the Award in 1984. The original award, a trophy, was presented annually to the best Naval Reserve Unit in the Naval Surface Reserve Force.

"This award acknowledges the hard work of the men and women of U.S. Naval Reserves, who support USTRANSCOM's mission of coordinating Department of Defense transportation," said Rear Adm. John Totushek, U.S. Naval Reserves chief, which includes COMNAVSURFRESFOR, who traveled to Ill. from Washington D.C. to make the presentation.

Navy Capt. Paula Bozdech-Veater, commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Reserve branch of JTRU, accepted the award.

"This Bilger Award is an award for all of us and I accept this on behalf of all the men and women of this unit," Bozdech-Veater said.

During calendar year 1999, Navy personnel provided more than 1,200 days of support to USTRANSCOM's mission in support of Albania refugee operations, the air war in Kosovo, peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and Bosnia, Northern and Southern Watch.

Navy Reserve JTRU Detachment 118 also provided support for exercises, support to the Legal Affairs Office, the Joint Intelligence Center, the Business Center and the Global Patient Movement Requirements Center. Unit members have continued to reschedule drills (over 70%) to accommodate the different watch-standing needs.

This is the second time the unit has won this award. The unit first won the award in 1991 for its work during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The unit was mobilized to support USTRANSCOM within three months of initially being established.

In 1996, COMNAVSURFRESFOR changed the award to certificates to recognize Naval Reserve Units that have achieved high levels of mission effectiveness. No more than 10 percent of units assigned to a Reserve Center can be nominated.