SUWON AIR BASE, South Korea - Foxtrot Maintenance Company from the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery recently won the Eighth Army Supply Excellence Award for Fiscal Year 2012.
Under the leadership of Staff Sgt. Ray Luster, the unit’s Supply Room noncommissioned officer-in-charge, the maintenance company has developed the best supply and property procedures on the Korean Peninsula and will be representing Eighth Army to compete in the Department of the Army inspections early next year.
Luster, a 33-year-old native of Murphysboro, Ill., is a 10-year veteran of the Army and has been serving in his current position since March 2010.
He credits the award to the hard work and long hours put in by his staff, including Spc. Emily Burke of St. Louis, Pvt. Kaitlynn Nopp of Belpre, Ohio, and Korean Augmentatee to the U.S. Army Pfc. Kyoung Kim from Seoul.
“The inspection covered everything from hand receipts to clothing records,” said Luster. “They [inspectors] observed our daily operations as well as digging into the paperwork and going through our records.”
Maintaining the property books of a maintenance company supporting an air defense artillery battalion is especially challenging because the property books are kept in two sets, one covering the basic maintenance company property and another for the Iron Horse Battalion’s Operational Readiness Float, a group of Patriot equipment held in readiness for replacement and deep maintenance purposes.
The total property value of the company is in excess of $64 million, but Luster’s Soldiers have gotten a great handle on all of it.
The process began with a thorough look from the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade command inspection team back in February 2011 and the commendable rating that F Company earned during that inspection led to the nomination for the Eighth Army competition.
Eighth Army G4 representatives Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rosaline Ricketts and Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Lewis conducted the inspection on June 16 and F Company was announced the winner last week, beating out supply rooms from across the peninsula.
The pride that Foxtrot personnel feel from their achievement is shared among every Soldier and family in the battalion.
“Our property book is a key concern,” said 2nd Lt. Susan Mejia, Fox Company Executive Officer. “It is a good feeling for leadership to know that such a critical area is in the care of capable and competent NCOs and Soldiers.”
With a superior supply room in operation, F Company is postured for success in support of the Patriot mission on the Korean Peninsula.
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