Photo By Master Sgt. Ershwyn Thibou | Maj. Joshua Sturgill, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Division (POD), in...... read more read more
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii. (May 20, 2019) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Pacific Ocean Division (POD) swept three categories during the 2018 Chief of Engineers Contingency Operations Annual Awards, April 26, after a panel convened to select winners in four categories.
The four categories were Emergency Manager of the Year, Military Responder of the Year, Civil Responder of the Year – Civil , and Civil Responder of the Year – Military.
POD’s own Andrew “Drew” Benziger won the Emergency Manager of the Year award category for his exceptional leadership as the readiness and contingency operations chief, and the emergency support function team leader.
During a very active disaster response period, Benziger displayed the type of leadership and poise that serves as a model for other leaders across the command. He coordinated the effort in response to twelve different major disasters in U.S. territories across the pacific.
Brig. Gen. Thomas Tickner, USACE, POD commander said of Benziger, “we are extremely fortunate to have Drew as part of our team, whether in times of crisis when we need a steady hand to guide things along or in building our international alliances and partners in the areas of disaster response. We are proud of his accomplishment in winning this well-deserved award.”
Maj. Joshua Sturgill of POD’s Honolulu district won the Civil Responder of the Year-Military award category. He was recognized for his leadership and the contributions that he made to multiple response and recovery operations during an unprecedented and demanding tropical cyclone season in the Pacific in 2018.
His leadership and his effectiveness as a communicator, plus his other inputs allowed him to successfully interact and work with agencies within USACE, and also outside the command. His tireless efforts, resourcefulness, and initiative played a pivotal role in the response to five major storm events across the area of responsibility, and also the recovery mission in the aftermath of these disasters.
Lt. Col. Kathryn Sanborn, Honolulu district commander, in recognizing Sturgill’s accomplishment said, “we are proud of Maj. Sturgill winning this well-deserved award. He provided unparalleled support, and leadership in the response and recovery efforts during a catastrophic storm season, which included Super Typhoon Yutu, the strongest storm to impact the U.S. in 2018.”
Maj. Eric Flood, who served as the Deputy Task Force Engineer for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nation’s Special Operations Component Command (NSOCC) in Afghanistan won the Military Responder of the Year Award.
Flood’s duties included overseeing a $100 million construction program, in addition; he initiated a major shift in the way that NSOCC approached project management with the Afghans. His revolutionary concept brought the Afghans in as partners, working in a coordinated effort to achieve common goals, and abandoned the old unsynchronized, parallel efforts in doing business.
Lt. Col. Penny Bloedel, deputy commander of the Alaska District reflected, “from my prior experience doing the same job, I know the requirements, obstacles, and urgencies that come along with special operations contingency construction. Eric smartly applied USACE best practices and processes to quickly get warfighters the facilities they needed to get their mission done. We are proud to have Maj. Flood as part of our district. He's continuing our tradition of excellence, maintaining a three-year streak of contingency award winners from Alaska district.”
An integral part of USACE’s strategy in maintaining a high quality workforce is recognizing excellence. POD leaders also expressed that a top priority is ensuring that every member of the team knows that their efforts do not go unnoticed and those who stand out further will be recognized for their demonstrated professionalism and commitment to delivering superior results.
Tickner, commenting on the command’s award winners said “I am proud of the work that we do here at POD, and the people who make it all possible. It is because of our outstanding team and the skills they bring to the job that makes us a ready, agile and trusted workforce that’s prepared to respond to our nation’s toughest challenges," he said.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2019 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 322305 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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