Photo By Sgt. Alex Fairchild | U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Xavier Fiatoa, a distribution management specialist with...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Xavier Fiatoa, a distribution management specialist with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations Pacific, shares his story as a Marine with the Passenger Travel Office on Camp Foster.
The PTO is a section of the Distribution Management Office that assists service members, Department of Defense civilians, and their families with their permanent change of station and temporary additional duty travel needs.
“It’s all about getting personnel to where they need to go,” said Fiatoa, a native of Ewa Beach, Hawaii. “In this job field, we have to be extremely detail oriented because we play a critical role in mission readiness. Without our services, mission essential flights wouldn’t be able to be booked or approved.”
The primary aspect of Fiatoa’s daily duties is to consolidate port calls consisting of detailed forms sent from the Installation Personnel Administration Center containing all the required personal information in order to arrange an individual's flights. He then executes the necessary steps to book the trip and routes his work up to higher echelons for approval.
DMO is separated into three separate entities: personal property, passenger travel, and freight operations. He explained that each branch works tirelessly together to ensure that every role they play in the PCS and TAD process is executed in a swift and accurate manner.
“Lance Cpl. Fiatoa is the kind of Marine everyone wishes to have alongside them,” said Cpl. Aliza Moyabarnes, a distribution management specialist and the noncommissioned officer in charge at the PTO on Camp Foster. “Not only is he extremely proficient in his job, he is a team player and has extensive knowledge of what needs to happen to keep the PTO running smoothly.”
Moyabarnes, a native of Lebanon, New Hampshire, explained that in the time that Fiatoa has been attached to PTO, he has taken on the responsibility of accommodating over 800 port calls, typically administering over 20 calls per day. She emphasized that Fiatoa takes it upon himself to execute numerous tasks above and beyond his daily assignments without guidance or instruction to do so.
Fiatoa’s work ethic and skills extend outside of the PTO. He frequently utilizes his free time to volunteer with the Camp Foster Single Marine Program during cleanups that beautify and preserve Okinawan beaches and cities.
“I’ve always felt like it is my duty as a Marine to help in any way that I can outside of my work,” explained Fiatoa. “Nobody wants to see trash scattered around your home. Spending a few hours of your weekend volunteering makes an impact not only on the environment but shows we are taking care of this island.”
The PTO’s mission statement is committing to provide excellent customer service for daily PCS and TAD travel needs to service members and DOD civilians.
| Date Taken: | 04.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2021 00:46 |
| Story ID: | 394000 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | EWA BEACH, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Faces of MCIPAC: Marine gets personnel to their destination, by Sgt Alex Fairchild, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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