386th ELRS named best in ACC

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. William Banton
  • 386th Air Expeditiaonary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadrons was awarded the Major General Warren R. Carter Logistics Readiness Award Daedalian trophy for the Air Combat Command February 2.

The Daedalians is an organization founded in 1934 by World War I aviators, which honors all branches of military aviation through a comprehensive awards program supporting military service and other aerospace activities. According to their website, their award and scholarship programs are designed to encourage patriotism, integrity and good character in our nation’s youth; military careers as commissioned pilots; flight safety, and excellence in the performance of military duties.

“It’s an honor to be picked up at the ACC level, because there is so much talent and there is just an amazing mission that Airmen are doing across ACC to advance airpower,” said Maj. Scott Zarbo, 386th ELRS commander. “For our portion, to be able to compete against those individuals and get the nomination is truly an honor and humbling experience.

“We are unique in being a desert unit. This effort is not just about one rotation, it’s about the more than 800 total force Airmen across three Air and Space Expeditionary Force (deployment) rotations, that all fell into the award period.”

In Fiscal Year 2017, the 386th ELRS enabled the movement of over 120,000 passengers and 82,000 tons of cargo across 9,000 missions supporting over 20 locations.

Additionally they supported the largest passenger movement in the last five years with the acceleration of over 16,000 passengers through the location to include the President's directed troop surge in Afghanistan.

During this same period they directed the safe distribution of approximately 20,000 fuel transactions equating to 44.4 million gallons, or $101 million.

“This is an award for noncommissioned officers and their total force Airmen, and their hard work, across three AEF rotations, coming from small and large bases to come together as a team to help the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing mission,” Zarbo said. “It is hard because some of the bases that win are together for years. They know each other and they pretty much have it down, but we had to come together.

“We had to meld together as a team, work through each other’s strengths and weaknesses and move forward,” he said. “The men and women of this unit have come forward and made it happen each time they were called upon. As a commander it’s an awesome thing to watch.”

The 386th ELRS will now go on to the branch-level competition for recognition as the unit with the best supply effectiveness record in support of mission aircraft in the Air Force.