374th MSS wins 11 PACAF awards

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Summers
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  The 374th Mission Support Squadron recently won 11 unit and individual awards at the Pacific Air Forces competition.

The squadron won the PACAF Outstanding Mission Support Squadron of the Year and the PACAF Family Readiness Flight of the Year awards, the Nathan Altschuler Award as the PACAF Outstanding Education Center of the Year and the Gerrit Foster Award as the PACAF Outstanding Military Personnel Flight of the Year.

"The PACAF Outstanding MSS award not only reflects the hard work of the squadron but the contributors of the commander support staff also," said Capt. Christopher Chesser, 374th MSS operations officer.

Seven people also won individual awards.

Maj. Henry Pitts, 374th MSS commander, won the PACAF Personnel Manger of the Year award, for his work in developing a gold standard noncombatant evacuation operation program and overseeing numerous successful family programs.

Staff Sgt. Donald Lyons won the PACAF Military Equal Opportunity Manger of the Year award. He developed an interactive lesson plan for the senior NCO Professional Development Program and resolved complex Defense Intelligence Systems Agency personnel issues.

Mr. Carl Frentz won the PACAF Education Manager of the Year. Mr. Frentz' persistent marketing of the College Level Examination Program saved the base more than $200,000 in tuition assistance. Of the 698 exams given, 54 percent passed, which was 10 percent higher than the PACAF average. In addition, Mr. Frentz coordinated with the University of Maryland University College to enable their test center to be first in the Western Pacific to administer DANTES exams.

Tech. Sgt. Tracy Murray, who won PACAF Training Manager of the Year award, helped more than 200 students receive computer-based training courses, saving the group $510,000 in temporary-duty expenses. Sergeant Murray managed more than 2,000 wing training opportunities and provided training valued at $900,000.

Captain Chesser won the PACAF Manpower and Organization Manager of the Year award for serving as the flight commander for the manpower and military personnel flights and driving countless transformation initiatives. He led wing ready program improvements, including Web tracking for training and the recall of 295 augmentees.

Mr. Jeffery Manning won the PACAF Manpower and Organization Manager of the Year award. As the wartime manager, he validated 1,600 operational plan requirements and 287 ready positions. In addition, he validated 50 support agreements, measuring $2.3 million in wing resources.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Cain received the PACAF First Term Airman Center NCO of the Year Award. Sergeant Cain briefed 35 Japan Air Self Defense Force officers, hosted a luncheon with the command chief enlisted manager and FTAC students and briefed 25 command sergeant majors on FTAC program issues.

"All the individuals that won an award are base-level program managers. With deployments and undermanning, they have been working hard and it is a good thing for them to be recognized," Captain Chesser said.