Sheppard wins AETC logistics award

by Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson
82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

8/27/2013 - SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- If it moves, grooves or needs screws, the 82nd Logistics Readiness Squadron is there to make sure goods get transported and run smoothly. Their dedication to the mission has paid off as they received the 2012 Logistics Readiness General Lew Allen, Jr. award here.

The 82nd LRS, whose mission is to transport, package, build and take inventory of the various goods on base, felt a sense of pride and enthusiasm.

"It was pretty cool," said Maj. Samuel Payne, 82nd LRS commander. "We take credit as a family."

The 82nd LRS is Air Education and Training Command's largest logistics program, supports 56 geographically separated units and supported 27 Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training sorties.

"It takes everybody from the lowest Airman to make this happen," he said. "We solidify teamwork."

In the multi-faceted environment that exists within the 82nd LRS, Payne pointed toward the squadron's diversity as one of their main strengths.

"Making sure the mission gets done is difficult," he said. "Logistics can't be done without discipline."

Master Sgt. Jesus Sanchez, 82nd LRS superintendent, considered the award a major accomplishment as well.

"I was shocked when we won," he said. "It's a proud moment."

Sanchez notes that without logistics many parts of the 82nd Training Wing mission to "train and inspire" would not get done.

"Nothing moves without us," he said. "We ship everything and anybody to any location."

Teamwork and strategy around the workplace are the attributes that Payne believes are important group attributes, and is proud of the impact logistics has on the mission at Sheppard.

"There's not much of the mission we don't touch," he said. "We want people to expect us to do the impossible."