U.S. Army Africa Warrant Officer receives Samuel Sharpe Award

By Juliana McGraw, U.S. Army Africa Public AffairsJanuary 26, 2011

Samuel Sharpe Award
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Samuel Sharpe Award
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Samuel Sharpe Award
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Samuel Sharpe Award
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VICENZA, Italy -- Chief Warrant Officer 4 Marilynn Bradley, senior maintenance technician for U.S. Army Africa G-4 (Logistics), received the Samuel Sharpe Award from the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Association at a monthly hail-and-farewell ceremony Jan. 21.

"CW4 Bradley-Watts has been the linchpin for improving every facet of the maintenance posture within the command," Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joachim Consiglio said.

Bradley was nominated and received this award for her exemplary work as chief of material readiness and for her work on U.S. Army Africa mortuary affairs policy, he said.

"As chief of material readiness, [ Bradley] established a continent-wide maintenance program for Army forces operations in Africa," said Col. Michael A. Balser. "For the first time someone put together operational procedures and guidance. And from those Army specific procedures, in some cases, those procedures were adopted at a national level for African partner nation use."

The Samuel Sharpe Award is named for one of a council of 13 freemen who presided over the Massachusetts Bay Colonies in the 1600s. Samuel Sharpe was appointed as "Master Gunner of Ordnance" by the colonial authority to care for shot, powder and other essential supplies. According to the Ordnance Corps Association, this award honors those "whose selfless contributions to the Corps stand out in the eyes of their seniors, peers and subordinates alike."

Bradley also created the joint mortuary affairs procedures used by all services to bring fallen soldiers home from anywhere in Africa, Balser said.

"I was totally out of my comfort zone as a maintenance technician, but I try to give my best, 100 percent of my effort to what I do," Bradley said. "I knew the product had to be effective and quality, because it affected other service components."

With 53 different standards for embalming, coordinating remains handling, transportation and processing can become very complex, Balser said.

Bradley has personally worked a 24-hour presence to coordinate the repatriation of service members' remains, and to ensure successful transportation procedures at least four times, Balser said. Most operations end on American soil at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

"Her ability to conceptualize and develop a plan for long term growth has helped lay the maintenance foundation for material readiness within the command as we continue to grow the newest Army Service Component Command," Consiglio said.

"This is just a small portion of the contributions CW4 Bradley has made and accomplished in recognition associated with receiving the Samuel Sharpe Award."

After leaving her post with U.S. Army Africa, Bradley will attend the Warrant Officer Staff Course (WOSC) before transferring to the 7th Sustainment Brigade at Fort Eustis, Va., to prepare for future deployment.

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