MCAS Futenma civilian receives Security and Emergency Services Civilian Marine of the Year Award

Photo By Sgt. Ryan Pulliam | Joseph Pagan, the director of mission assurance for Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma, provides final remarks during an award cerremony at the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron building, MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan April 29, 2021. Pagan, a former Marine Corps artillery officer and native of Carteret, New Jersey, received the 2019 Security and Emergency Services Civilian Marine of the Year Award for his continued excellence as the director of mission assurance in support of the air station’s day-to-day operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ryan H. Pulliam)  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, JAPAN

04.29.2021

Story by Cpl. Ryan Pulliam 

Marine Corps Installations Pacific

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, Okinawa, Japan – U.S. Marine Corps Col. Henry Dolberry Jr., commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, on behalf of Headquarters Marine Corps, presented the 2019 Security and Emergency Services Civilian Marine of the Year Award to Joseph Pagan, the director of mission assurance for MCAS Futenma, April 29 at the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron building on MCAS Futenma.

Pagan, a former Marine Corps artillery officer and native of Carteret, New Jersey, received the award for his continued excellence as the director of mission assurance in support of the air station’s day-to-day operations.

“Mission assurance covers anything like anti-terrorism, force protection, emergency management, and anything like that,” Pagan said. “I’m just really proud to supervise a lot of those elements at Futenma. We’ve really focused on (mission assurance) for the past three years.”

In addition to his family, Marines, civilians and master labor contractors from H&HS attended his award ceremony to congratulate him.
“In my four years here in Okinawa so far, I’ll say there is no one more deserving,” said Dolberry, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native. “He cares. He does a lot of things for this air station that I’ve not seen done before in my life.”

Having been with the unit for over three years, Pagan was grateful to have the MCAS Futenma team for their continued hard work with the air station.

Dolberry highlighted, “The people that (Pagan) serves are grateful to have him. He has a lot of strong people in his section, a lot of educated people, and a lot of people with great ability. They’re following him, emulating him and he turns around in return and says, ‘What can I do to help you do your job better?’”

Pagan requested to have a small ceremony within his place of work with only his coworkers and family in attendance despite the grandeur of the award presented to him.

“I’m glad I can represent the whole mission assurance program and the Futenma team,” said Pagan, dedicating the award to his, “family for their full support and the MCAS Futenma leadership for having faith in the program.”

H&HS Futenma means to provide administrative, training and operational support to MCAS Futenma and tenant units in support of III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Installations Pacific missions within the Indo-Pacific Command’s area of readiness by executing the following duties: station administration and manpower management, ground training and unit level annual training, as well as operational support aircraft flight and maintenance operations.

• Date Taken: 04.29.2021
• Date Posted: 05.03.2021 02:56
• Story ID: 395401
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, JP