56th LRS wins AF Daedalian award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melanie Holochwost
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron earned the 2009 Air Force Maj. Gen. Warren R. Carter Logistics Readiness Award, also known as the Daedalian Award, for providing exceptional logistics support for Luke Air Force Base and the entire Air Force.

The 56th LRS had awe-inspiring feats in 2009 by anyone's standards, said Gen. Kurt Neubauer, 56th Fighter Wing commander.

"Last year, the 56th LRS sustained more than 27,000 sorties, the highest of any wing in the Air Force," he said in a message to Air Force judges. "They flawlessly moved more than 64 million gallons of fuel and provided transportation for 78,000 passengers."

Second Lt. Robert Berry, 56th LRS officer-in-charge of readiness, agrees.

"In 2009, our squadron shipped nearly 4,000 tons of cargo more than 93 million miles supporting the Defense Department's mission across five continents and more than 40 countries," he said. "We also maintained about 800 vehicles with making more than 15,000 repairs last year."

Lieutenant Berry said 56th LRS members are not only helping Luke's mission, but also the Air Force's mission.

"56th LRS personnel deployed for more than 25,000 days and executed 450 convoy missions covering more than one million miles," he said. "They supported more than 70,000 combat aircraft sorties and withstood 1,000 insurgent attacks. Most importantly, they upheld our core values and brought everyone back home to Luke."

The men and women of the 56th LRS work hard day in and day out, providing excellence at every turn, according to Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Kazmirski, 56th LRS Material Management Flight superintendent.

"It is truly an honor to be a member of the best LRS in the Air Force. We strive for nothing less than excellence, and our selection for the Daedalian Award validates that," he said.

We have great individuals doing great things and it is humbling to be able to work with this caliber of Airmen, said Senior Master Sgt. Wendy Brazier, 56th LRS first sergeant.

"We know it was the Airmen doing the work, but it would have been impossible without the leadership of Lt. Col. Carrie Bausano," she said.

Master Sgt. Keith Brown, 56th LRS command support staff NCO-in-charge, was not surprised by the award.

"We know our folks work hard and we are really proud of their accomplishment," he said. "It is their attention to detail both here and deployed that has garnered this award. It is the LRS family working as a team that has collectively earned this award. It makes our responsibilities easy when we have Team LRS performing their duties with discipline and pride. Take care of your Airmen and they will take care of you".

The Daedalian trophy and award is annually presented to the logistics readiness squadron selected by the chief of staff of the Air Force that has the best supply effectiveness record. It was first awarded in 1962.