JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va –
The 733rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen are dedicated professionals who are committed to achieving excellence through focusing on the mission, providing global response and building future leaders.
This year, the 733rd LRS won the 2016 National Defense Transportation Association Unit Award. The NDTA program annually presents a series of prestigious awards recognizing individual members, corporate members, chapters, and military units for demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in transportation, logistics and passenger travel.
“The 733rd LRS is one of the most unique logistics units in the air force,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alex Mol, 733rd LRS commander. “Winning this award proves that we have leaders in this unit who create a climate that breeds excellence.”
The squadron manages logistics programs for Joint Base Langley-Eustis and supports vehicle management, supply, fuel and mobility operations for installation and tenant unit activities. The 733rd LRS also supports and sustains JBLE’s F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talon fleet as well as five wings.
In addition, the 733rd LRS is the only logistics unit that provides operations by every mode of transportation.
“We have vehicle operations, a small air terminal, and at Fort Eustis, there is a rail and harbor operation,” said Mol. “We’re a small unit but our diversity and scope of responsibility reflects how hard we work every day to achieve this level of success.”
Some of the 733rd LRS’ accomplishments include assuming Norfolk Air Mobility Command’s mission by deploying and receiving 1,700 passengers, and sustaining operations for two four-star commanders, 34 organizations and five wings with a $5.4 million budget and $1.6 billion in assets. The 733rd LRS also executed logistics for the 100 years of Langley airshow by guiding 41 aircraft and directing 183 vehicles to move 15,000 personnel.
Mol said their number one job is to ensure they can accomplish the mission and their main goals have always been accountability, readiness and recognition.
“We push our flight leaders, young officers and senior civilians to be leaders and because we have focused on the people, we continue to achieve great results,” said Mol.
The NDTA Award was not the only recognition 733rd LRS received, Air Combat Command recently awarded Mol the General Thomas P. Gerrity Award.
The Gerrity Award is an individual award for outstanding contributions to logistics operations, management, business processes and the success of logistics operations worldwide.
“Although I’m proud to receive this individual award, I still see this accomplishment as a team award,” said Mol. “This unit is made up of 408 personnel and I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Mol emphasized the importance of leadership and the U.S. Air Force’s core values: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.
“Our success in winning the unit and individual awards is centered on our core values. But most importantly leading by example,” said Mol.
According to Mol, he has learned many leadership principles, but caring for people and impacting their lives professionally helped him to become a better leader. He said the Airmen are the backbone behind what the 733rd LRS accomplishes, without their hard work and dedication there is no mission success.
After receiving the ACC Gerrity Award, Mol is now a nominee in the Air Force-level competition. As Mol prepares for a permanent change of station assignment to Kadena Air Base, Japan, he hopes that the professionalism and dedication to excellence continues to grow at the 733rd LRS.