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A noncommissioned officer assigned to the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron was recognized as Airlifter of the Week for her drive and focus in ground transportation logistics at Ramstein Air Base, March 4.
In support of multiple exercises, Staff Sgt. Amber Evans, 86th VRS ground transportation operations center assistant NCO in charge, coordinated and scheduled various cargo and passenger movements.
“The adaptability that she had to change vehicles, change them back, make sure we had the assets needed at certain timeframes, be flexible and get that information to leadership in a timely manner, speaks volumes on what she was able to do,” said Tech. Sgt. David Martinez, 86th VRS ground transportation operations center NCOIC.
When Martinez was temporarily deployed, Evans was selected as interim NCOIC of the ground transportation operations center. Shortly after stepping into the role, Evans was tasked with logistical support of ground transportation for both exercises Agile Combat Employment, in Poland, and Frozen Defender ’21, in Germany, in addition to routine operations at Ramstein.
“We needed somebody that the flight had confidence in to run GTOC,” Martinez said. “She was the first name that came up whenever we were trying to decide.”
The GTOC is responsible for transportation in all aircrew missions, such as getting aircrew from their hotel rooms or squadron buildings out to aircrafts, and vice versa.
Additionally, when exercises occur, the GTOC is tasked with duties of coordinating dedicated vehicles and personnel, country-specific road clearances, diplomatic cargo clearances and customs forms, Evans said.
Evans was also recognized for leading a team of nine Airmen in the execution of COVID-19 aircrew support for 3,491 aircrew members, 3,357 medical personnel and 566 missions since its inception.
“For COVID-19 aircrew support, all of our buses have barriers now,” Evans said. “We sanitize the seats, the door handles and anything that anybody would touch. We have people on standby with sanitizer and wipes, and they go back out immediately, so it doesn’t increase wait times for the crew.”
When Evans, a Bellingham, Washington, native, isn’t busy leading her team at the GTOC, she enjoys gardening, video games, reading and spending time with her husband, Staff Sgt. Sean Evans, assigned to the 721st Aerial Port Squadron.
“You know, with COVID, I’ve had to spend a lot of time inside, so I have a lot of houseplants,” Evans said. “My husband and I both play video games, so we entertain ourselves for hours, but my goal for 2021 is to read more.”
The Airlifter of the Week program recognizes outstanding Airmen who demonstrate a high level of job dedication and support the 86th Airlift Wing’s mission to build Airmen, project power and support partners.
“She is someone that all the Airmen look up to,” Martinez said. “Her knowledge on the job makes her a really good leader, and she is very personable.”
