SDDC recognizes excellence with GDDE awards

By Mr. Johnathon Orrell (SDDC)March 1, 2019

SDDC recognizes excellence with GDDE awards
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Commanding general of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), Maj. Gen. Stephen E. Farmen, announced the winners of the 2018 SDDC Global Deployment and Distribution Excellence (GDDE) awards at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Feb. 15.

The GDDE awards program is intended to motivate and inspire the SDDC workforce by formally recognizing exceptional teamwork, achievements and superior deployment, distribution, specialized services, transportation, and mission support performances of SDDC's Surface Warriors around the globe.

"It is important that our workforce knows that what they contribute every day makes a difference," said Bryan R. Samson, SES, the SDDC deputy to the commander.

"We want to hire the right talent in SDDC while also developing and retaining our workforce over time, and a key way to achieve that is to thank and recognize outstanding performers, something we do through this awards program," Samson added.

The GDDE awards consist of 34 team and individual awards recognizing the highest performers across the command.

Mary Ellen Ramsey from SDDC's G3 Operations directorate took honors as "SDDC Protection Member of the Year."

Responsible for managing the command's Emergency Management Program, Ramsey says her success is a result of the emergency management teams she works with daily.

"I am honored to be selected as a winner, but the success of the SDDC Emergency Management Program isn't based on any one person, it is a community effort," she said.

Joe Repp, G3 deputy director, for the G3 directorate attributes Ramsey's success to the many positive differences she has made to the command.

"She has been instrumental in making our Emergency Management Program a model within the U.S. Army," he said. "Her dedication to our core mission and her personal desire to do what is right each and every day distinguishes her from her contemporaries."

SDDC's 596th Transportation Brigade, headquartered at Sunny Point, North Carolina, was named winner of the "LTG Hubert G. Smith Award for Superior Performance," an award recognizing an SDDC organization whose superior performance epitomizes global deployment and distribution excellence. The brigade also counted two team and three individual award winners.

Col. Heather Carlisle, the commander of the 596th, appreciates the recognition from higher headquarters and says the brigade's success is a direct result of the people within her command.

"My command team and I are privileged to serve with an incredibly talented, dedicated and supremely patriotic team of trusted professionals that care. We are inspired and motivated to be our best every day because of the remarkable people we serve alongside," said Carlisle.

According to Samson, all leaders within SDDC have a responsibility to foster innovation, coach and mentor the workforce to seek excellence, and recognize individuals and teams when they perform above and beyond.

"We are fortunate in SDDC to see excellent performance across the globe from our military, Department of Army (DA) civilians, local nationals and industry partners," said Samson.

The Hawaii-based 599th Transportation Brigade received the "MG Kenneth L. Privratsky Award for SDDC Brigade of the Year." This award recognizes the brigade that best excels at deployment, distribution and transportation services, responsibilities and functions.

Brigade commander Col. Frazariel Castro attributes the honor to his unit's mission success, but notes that while his brigade is humbled by the recognition, he does not consider the 599th's mission any more important than the rest of the SDDC brigade missions.

"The Surface Warriors of the "Koa Kokua" Warrior Support Brigade are SDDC's premier power projection team in the Pacific," he said, adding, "but we know that what we do is mirrored every day by all of the SDDC brigades and battalions across the globe."

Samson considers this year's GDDE Awards program a great success, noting that the winners represent the high caliber of personnel that make up the Surface Warrior workforce.

"SDDC's reputation is based on demonstrated individual and collective excellence that is earned every day by our workforce. Every Soldier who wears the SDDC patch and every civilian who joins our command must perform at a high standard to sustain that reputation," he said.

The complete list of the 2018 SDDC Global Deployment and Distribution Excellence Award winners are as follows:

Organizational Awards:

- LTG Hubert G. Smith Award for Superior Performance -- 596th Transportation Brigade

- MG John J. Lane Award for SDDC Deployment and Distribution Excellence -- 831st Transportation Battalion

- MG Kenneth L. Privratsky Award for SDDC Brigade of the Year -- 599th Transportation Brigade

- MG Harold I. Small Award for SDDC Battalion of the Year -- 839th Transportation Battalion

- LTG William E. Mortensen Award for SDDC Activity of the Year -- Transportation Engineering Agency Deployability Division

- MG John H. Stanford Award for SDDC Site of the Year -- 839th Transportation Battalion Turkey Detachment

- LTG Kathleen M. Gainey SDDC Team Performance of the Year Award (Large team, 20 or more members) -- Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point Fire and Emergency Services

- MG Charles W. Fletcher, Jr. SDDC Team Performance of the Year Award (Medium team, 10-19 members) -- 836th Transportation Battalion terminal Management Team

- BG Barbara Doornink SDDC Team Performance of the Year Award (Small team, 2 to 9 members) -- 596th Transportation Brigade Ocean Cargo Clearance Authority

Individual Awards:

- Mr. William R. Lucas Award for Individual Outstanding Contributions -- Tokico Sadakata, 836th Transportation Battalion

- Johnnie Fisher Award for Operational Cost Effectiveness -- Pradeep A. Bhandary, 831st Transportation Battalion

- LTG John D. Bruen Award for Field Grade Officer of the Year -- Lt. Cmdr. Warren K. Blackburn, Transportation Engineering Agency

- MG Henry R. Del Mar Award for SDDC Company Grade Officer of the Year -- Capt. Kevin B. Mendelsohn, SDDC Headquarters G3 Operations Directorate

- CSM Thomas R. Hawkins, SDDC Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (E8-E9) -- Master Sgt. Marcos A. RodriguezBaez, 689th Rapid Port Opening Element

- CSM Arthur Johnson SDDC Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (E5-E7) -- Sgt. 1st Class Alex Casaretto, 599th Transportation Brigade

- SDDC Terminal Operations Civilian of the Year -- Roy L. Miller, 833rd Transportation Battalion

- SDDC Transportation/Traffic Management Soldier of the Year -- Sgt. 1st Class Johnsie J. Little, 838th transportation Battalion

- SDDC Transportation/Traffic Management Civilian of the Year -- Anthony Hill, Jr. -- 836th Transportation Battalion

- SDDC Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Performer of the Year -- Okey E. Palmore, 596th Transportation Brigade

- SDDC Supply and Inventory Management Soldier of the Year -- Staff Sgt. Troy L. Wilkerson, 832nd Transportation Battalion

- SDDC Supply and Inventory Management Civilian of the Year -- Frederick A. Williams, SDDC Headquarters G6 Information Management Directorate

- SDDC Information Management Soldier of the Year -- Sgt. 1st Class Joseph L. Savant - SDDC Headquarters G6 Information Management Directorate

- SDDC Information Management Civilian of the Year -- Susan C. Apke, 596th Transportation Brigade

- SDDC Contract Quality Assurance Evaluator of the Year -- Gale J. Hammond, 595th Transportation Brigade

- SDDC Personnel Support Team Member of the Year -- Charles E. Loiselle, 599th Transportation Brigade

- SDDC Special Staff-Small Office Team Member of the Year -- Brian K. Asbee, 599th Transportation Brigade

- SDDC Protection Member of the Year -- Mary E. Ramsey, SDDC Headquarters G3 Operations Directorate

- SDDC Administrative Support Performance of the Year Award -- Hiromi Hanzawa, 836th Transportation Battalion

- SDDC Budget or Finance Team Member of the Year Award -- Fathimathu Zzuhara, 831st Transportation Battalion

- MG John R. Piatak SDDC Plans Team Member of the Year Award -- Ethan M. Dickman, 599th Transportation Brigade