U.S. Transportation Command recognizes Annual Award winners

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (March 19, 2021) –U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) honored its 2020 outstanding military and civilian performers during a virtual Annual Award ceremony March 18 in the command’s Seay Auditorium.

A total of nine civilian and service members were recognized for their excellent performance.

“This speaks volumes about your contributions and what you mean to the nation and to this organization,” U.S. Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, commander, USTRANSCOM, said during the ceremony. “Congratulations on your recognition. This means you are the best of the best.”

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason France, senior enlisted leader for the command, joined Lyons to recognize the accomplishments of the nominees. “Understanding all that we’ve done this past year, and understanding the challenges brought on by the pandemic, what really makes TRANSCOM the organization that it is, is its people.”

The ceremony included USTRANSCOM teammates watching from various locations around the United States. The awardees were selected from a group of more than 50 nominees across nine categories.

“Looking at the nominees, I realize this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to TRANSCOM. It’s incredible to be part of this great organization,” Lyons said as he concluded his remarks. “Thank you for all that you do.”

Lyons and France recognized the following USTRANSCOM members as award winners:

Junior Service Member
U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Austin A. Strickland, patient movement clinical operations specialist, Command Surgeon Directorate, received the Junior Service Member Award. Strickland managed division readiness by overseeing 21 joint personnel to complete more than 500 individual tasks and certified 30 division-critical requirements. He also completed 15 credit hours toward a bachelor’s degree.

Service Member
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joseph L. Dewese, contracts manager, Acquisition Directorate, received the Service Member Award. He led 13 airmen in the successful completion of 58 projects equaling $33 million in operating cost. Dewese managed a $1.1 million Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility operation and collaborated with five different agencies to expedite critical specifications to the operation. This eliminated a three-month time delay and saved nearly $500,000.

Senior Service Member
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Angel L. Jenkins, superintendent, Patient Movement Requirements Center-West, Command Surgeon Directorate, received the Senior Service Member Award. Jenkins led four senior noncommissioned officers across three global Patient Movement Requirements Centers, overseeing 106 joint personnel who ensured around-the-clock patient movement support to six different Unified Combat Commands. She also helped forge the first Department of Defense (DOD) COVID-19 patient movement procedures.

Honor Guard
U.S. Navy Yeoman 1st Class Keith D. Lofton, lead petty officer, Joint Secretariat, received the Honor Guard Award. Lofton set the standard for professional and physical discipline by implementing USTRANSCOM’s official flag certification ceremony for military and civilian retirements. Additionally, he volunteered to create the first USTRANSCOM flag ceremony-training video, setting a standard of excellence within the Color Guard team.

Company Grade Officer
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joshua A. Rash, troop commander, Joint Communications Support Element, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, received the Company Grade Officer Award. He engineered the United States Africa Command’s executive communication support operation, personally identifying critical team equipment which showcased next-generation command and control capabilities to nine partner nations and synchronized counter-terrorism operations in the process.

Field Grade Officer
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lisa B. Ryan, chief, Transition Branch, Defense Personal Property Management Office, received the Field Grade Officer Award. Ryan was recognized across the DOD as the number one leader for Defense Personal Property Program reform and was the architect of the Defense Personal Property Management Office organizational structure.

Civilian Category One
Defense Intelligence Agency civilian Nicolas H. Kramer, transportation intelligence analyst-South Asia, Intelligence Directorate, received the Civilian Category One Award. He molded the India-China line-of-control standoff assessment and advised on operation requirements. His intelligence reports across a wide range of topics had a direct impact in shaping the United States global security response.

Civilian Category Two
U.S. Air Force civilian Richard J. Simms, air refueling management specialist, Operations Directorate, received the Civilian Category Two Award. Simms was recognized with the 2020 Exceptional Service to International Air Refueling Award, which was selected by the DOD Joint Standardization Board for Air Refueling systems, a 20-nation military and civilian personnel committee.

Civilian Category Three
U.S. Air Force civilian Monica W. Rodriguez, air transportation specialist, Strategic Plans, Policy and Logistics Directorate, was awarded the Civilian Category Three Award. She oversaw the completion of a decades-long transportation and distribution contract, garnering $1.88 billion in savings for the joint deployment and distribution coordinator. Rodriguez also led the F-35 program transition plan, the DOD’s largest weapon system valued at $34 billion, supporting the Defense Transportation System’s commercial and organic lift for 13 international partners.

USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.
 

Extended photo caption:

U.S. Transportation Command Annual Awards winners pose on stage during a virtual ceremony in the Seay Auditorium at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, March 18, 2021. The winners were recognized for their accomplishments both in the military and civilian categories. (left to right) U.S. Air Force civilian Richard Simms, air refueling management specialist, Operations Directorate, Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, USTRANSCOM commander, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lisa Ryan, chief, Transition Branch, Defense Personal Property Management Office, U.S. Navy Yeoman 1st Class Keith Lofton, lead petty officer, Joint Secretariat, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joseph Dewese, contracts manager, Acquisition Directorate, Chief Master Sgt. Jason France, USTRANSCOM senior enlisted leader, Defense Intelligence Agency civilian Nicholas Kramer, transportation intelligence analyst-South Asia, Intelligence Directorate.

Three award recipients attended virtually and are not present in photo, U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Austin Strickland, patient movement clinical operations specialist, Command Surgeon Directorate, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Angel Jenkins, superintendent, Patient Movement Requirements Center-West, Command Surgeon Directorate, U.S. Air Force civilian Monica Rodriguez, air transportation specialist, Strategic Plans, Policy and Logistics Directorate, and U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joshua A. Rash, troop commander, Joint Communications Support Element, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, was not able to attend the ceremony. (USTRANSCOM photo by Michelle Gigante)