18th LRS earns PACAF awards Published March 20, 2012 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- The 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron recently received two Pacific Air Force annual awards for 2011. The 18th LRS Fuels Management Flight received the Raymond H. Gross Award as the most outstanding fuels management flight in PACAF in the fields of direct mission support, innovative management, and quality-of-life programs. "In fiscal 2011 the accomplishments of our fuels management flight were mind-blowing. As the busiest fuel operation in PACAF, they flawlessly supported over 19,000 sorties, issuing over 52 million gallons of petroleum and cryogenic products," said Lt. Col. Robert Henderson, 18th LRS commander. "Fuels personnel excelled in the deployed environment, in off-duty community activities and educational pursuits, and in pursuit of continuous process innovation and improvement. This is an amazing team and they are the true unsung heroes of the flightline." Tech. Sgt. Sudhakar Rengaraj, 18th LRS NCO in charge of outbound cargo, won the Traffic Management Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award for his significant mission accomplishments in the Traffic Management career field. "Tech. Sgt. Rengaraj is a rare combination of stellar leadership skills and technical expertise. In fiscal 2011 he supported Operation TOMODACHI, deployed to Iraq, and provided first-class home-station transportation management support to over 24,000 personnel. He is highly deserving of this award," Henderson said.