ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- As ports go in the Balkans, one of the busiest these days for the Military Traffic Management Command is Rijeka, Croatia.

That is where the 839th Transportation Battalion has moved the Bosnia-bound equipment of American peacekeeping soldiers since late 1998.

At the center of that action has been documentation chief Monica Simoncini.

Simoncini has been named the Army winner of the MTMC Excellence in Traffic Management Award for 2001.

"It was very unexpected," said Simoncini. "My attitude towards my work, since I was hired in 1985, has always been the same: Do the best work I can on a daily basis and never stop finding a better way to exceed customers' satisfaction."

While studying foreign languages at Pisa University, Simoncini began work at the MTMC terminal as a part-time clerk-typist. Initially, she was interested in improving her language training by working with Americans; soon, however, she found she enjoyed the transportation work.

"I submitted my recruitment form as soon as I found out they had a position open," said Simoncini. "I got selected and I am still here."

As to her frequent missions to other nations, Simoncini said she gets strong childcare support from her husband and parents for her 9-year-old daughter.

"They know how important it is for me to be 'present' in certain instances," said Simoncini.

She has great respect for the command.

"I believe MTMC is different from most employers," said Simoncini. "You are considered first as a person, and then as an employee. In this work, you have great opportunity to travel and to demonstrate your capabilities."

However, said Simoncini, not all the travel is exotic. Even the nicest locations can have austere working and living conditions at dockside and may involve severe weather.

"I can't say enough about her," said Lt. Col. Mark Westbrook, commander. "Her professionalism, dynamic personality and drive for excellence is evident in everything she does.

"She is a cornerstone in MTMC's documentation community."

Simoncini has worked at many of the 22 ports in 10 countries where the battalion has deployed in recent years, said Westbrook.

Her work, he said, has included leading mobile training teams to instruct movement controllers working in Bosnia, Hungry and Macedonia.

Maj. Ralph Riddle, executive officer, agrees.

"Hands down," said Riddle, "she is the best military documentation expert I've had the honor of working with. She is a natural team player."

In her career, Simoncini has assisted in the documentation of more than 5,000 pieces of cargo, including contingency cargo, personal property and privately owned vehicles.

A 16-year MTMC veteran, Simoncini was also named the command's outstanding employee of 1991.

Other winners of the MTMC Excellence in Traffic Management Awards include:

Navy: Cynthia Greene, Naval Air Terminal, Norfolk, Va.; Air Force: 2nd Lt. Mark Cooke, 375 Computer Systems Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; Marine Corps: Gunnery Sgt. Antoine Bailey, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, Calif.; Defense Logistics Agency: Wanda Thomas; Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Army-Air Force Exchange Service: Mandy Theus, Army-Air Force Exchange Service Transportation Center, Dallas, Texas.

(FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)