349th Logistics Readiness Flight Airmen Earn Honors

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tony Castro
  • 349th Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 349th Logistics Readiness Flight at Travis Air Force Base has received numerous honors and awards for their performance. They were named the best fuels flight in 4th Air Force and were the runner-up for best fuels flight of the year in the Air Force Reserve.

On top of being honored as a group, several Airmen were awarded individual honors.
Technical Sgt. John Kelley is the 2006 Air Force Reserve Fuels NCO of the Year and Technical Sgt. Terry Jackson is the 2006 Air Force Reserve Supply NCO of the Year.

Seeing his Airmen receiving recognized doesn't surprise Maj. Roderick Grunwald, commander, 349th Logistics Readiness Flight, "Both are experienced veterans who have deployed twice in support of Air Expeditionary Force operations. They were vital to our AFRC Logistics Activity of the Year win two years ago." Major Grunwald added, "These gentlemen represent the best and brightest of what our unit has to offer. We are all extremely proud of their achievements."

Sergeant Kelley was recognized for his relentless effort to make sure Team Travis had fuel. His management of 21 troops lead to 25 million gallons of fuel being issued to numerous aircraft and maintaining a 99 percent on-time sortie rating. Besides getting fuel to the planes, he trained numerous Airmen in everything from basic job required training to fuel spill prevention. The reason Kelley does it is very simple, "I'm just trying to be a good example for everyone. I want to lead by example. I have a great supervisor who keeps me driven and I want those under me to be driven"

Sergeant Kelley didn't excel only at Travis. When deployed to Korea, his extensive experience was used to validate Osan Air Base's alternative receiving method. He also ensured a 100 percent sortie launch rate during exercise Ulchi Focus Lens. However, Kelley is more proud of a recent deployment.

"When I went to Kuwait it was a big experience. It was amazing to get out there in the desert, contributing to the war effort," he said. "It was awesome being able to represent the 349th in an overseas environment, even though it was long hours and we worked almost every day. I really felt like we were accomplishing an important mission."

Sergeant Kelley, a Sacramento, Calif. native, is dedicated to helping others and giving back to those who have served before. He donated his time to help send care packages to deployed Airmen and volunteered to cook and serve meals at the Yountville Veterans Home.

"It's a way to give back to the men and women who paved the way for us. My whole family has served in the military and it's just a small way to give back," he said.

Sergeant Kelley's comrade in being an Air Force Reserve level winner shares many of the same positive traits. Sergeant Terry Jackson proved why he was the best Supply troop in the Reserve time and time again. Whether he's creating a one-stop shop for both C-5 and C-17 maintenance crews to get needed parts, or forward deploying to Southwest Asia in support of the War on Terrorism, Jackson always does the best he can do.

"I want to do all I can do to support those guys on the flight line so they can get their job done. I really believe in everything the military stands for. I've always believed in it and I just strive to be the best I can be and a good mentor."

That mentoring comes in many ways for Sergeant Jackson. He dedicated himself to working 12 hours a day, six days a week to modify warehousing key processes and ultimately saved the Reserve command 550 man hours, despite the long days. The St. Louis, Mo. native finds time to also be a role model off duty. His focus is on being a positive influence for young men and does so by serving as a Big Brother and as the head coach of a football team for inner city youth ages 10 through 13.

"It's really about helping other people. I want them to see that you should try your best at everything and that you can achieve so many things in your future," said Sergeant Jackson

This 18-year veteran doesn't see this award as the pinnacle of his career; instead it's just another motivator. "Winning this award means a lot for me and my wife. She gets to see how all of her support helps me focus on doing my job." Sergeant Jackson added, "This will definitely enhance my career but it really will help me to strive for more. I always want to make sure I'm doing my best to support the Airmen on the flight line."

Sergeant  Jackson recently added another award to his growing list when he was named the NCO of the Year for the California Air Force Association for 2007.