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The Kaiserslautern First Sergeants Association recognized the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron passenger travel section Oct. 29 for outstanding support of Airmen and their families for the third quarter.
The passenger travel section was awarded a plaque, and the whole office also received a pizza party as part of their prize.
Helping more than 21,000 customers a year, members of the passenger travel section are not strangers to hard work, and the FSA did not let this go unnoticed.
Every quarter, all of the first sergeants get together and nominate a section who they think has done a great job, said Master Sgt. Rodney Floyd, 86th Medical Squadron first sergeant and KMC FSA vice president. It was a hands-down choice to recognize the passenger travel section this quarter.
The FSA knows a lot about the passenger travel section, as they work to get Airmen home to their families in emergency-leave situations.
“One of the many jobs we have is getting customers home if they need to take emergency leave,” said Staff Sgt. Monique Robinson, 86th LRS passenger travel section traffic manager. “We try to get the Airman as close to home or all the way home without incurring excess cost.”
Out of the 21,000 customers, about 675 of the cases are emergency-leave travel annually, added Sergeant Robinson.
And helping Airmen and their families get home is a round-the-clock kind of job.
“There is always someone on call,” Ser-geant Robinson said. “We will get calls in the middle of the night from the first sergeants, and we have to come in (to) the office and help the passenger get to where they need to go.”
While this might seem a hassle to some, it doesn’t faze Sergeant Robinson.
“I enjoy helping out the customers,” she said. “It’s good to know I can be there to help out in a crisis situation for the Airmen.”
Even after being acknowledged by the FSA, this nine-man shop was still modest.
“It is an honor to be recognized, especially when people don’t know we are working all the time,” Sergeant Robinson said. “We just do our job, what we are supposed to do – we make it happen.”
Not only did the FSA honor the passenger travel section, but their leadership also stepped in to credit them.
“This is a twenty-four-hours, seven-days-a-week responsibility,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Smith, 86th LRS commander. “They are often unsung heroes. They provide a service to the military, a service that takes care of its own.”
Colonel Smith was one of the many to note the enthusiasm this office puts into their work.
“They would move mountains to get the Airmen home,” he said. “They are passionate about taking care of their active-duty counterparts.”
With such an award, it was no surprise to see their leadership show their pride.
“I am very proud of them,” Colonel Smith said. “They provide a service to everyone and are a great example of our core values – service before self and excellence in all we do.”
