Photo By Kristyn Galvan | Robert Johnson's, Provost Marshal's Office services chief at Marine Corps Logistics...... read more read more
On March 21, Robert Johnson, the Provost Marshal Office services chief, was recognized as Supervisor of the Year for fiscal year 2023 during a quarterly awards ceremony at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. Colonel Gregory Pace, the installation commanding officer, and 1st Sgt. Christian Basantes, Headquarters Company first sergeant, presented the award.
Johnson has been working at MCLB Barstow for nearly 15 years. Before serving on base, he served for eight years as a military police in the United States Army. He then served in various roles at MCLB Barstow PMO before becoming services chief three years ago.
As a supervisor, Johnson has gotten to know his people and employees. He said he feels that is part of what makes a supervisor effective.
“One of my favorite leadership quotes is from Col. Clemens, a former commanding officer at MCLB Barstow,” Johnson said. “He said ‘leadership is a contact sport’. To be an effective supervisor, you have to know your people. You need to be willing to get down to their level and work with them, feeling their pains, struggles, and frustrations. A lot of time people get into management positions and forget where they came from.”
With his experience, Johnson said when you get to know your team, they will return that effort by wanting to work for you and give their best at work. Because he values his team and the work they do, when he was recognized as Supervisor of the Year, Johnson said he felt the accomplishment did not entirely belong to him.
“I’m the type of supervisor where I feel that this award is not my accomplishment, but my subordinates’ accomplishment,” Johnson clarified. “I was recognized because of the things that they did. I gave them the coverage and the guidance.”
In addition to taking the time to know his team, Johnson is responsible for a variety of duties and responsibilities.
“As a services chief, I handle the day-to-day operations for services,” he said. “We have physical security, Pass & ID, dispatch, PD training, our budget, supply records, and I do a lot of the HRO stuff for the department.”
Among his many duties and responsibilities, Johnson said his favorite part about his current position is being able to provide the officers on the road peace of mind that the equipment they need is going to be provided and replaced when needed. He finds the most satisfaction in providing his team with better, practical application training that is scenario-based instead of presentation-based. He said this enables his people to feel comfortable and confident in their skill sets.
“What motivates me in this job is being a workaholic,” Johnson said. “Having a project that needs to be done or has a deadline to meet and working to meet that is what keeps me going. There is so much constant change in the law enforcement field that it’s never the same thing every single day. So, the challenge of having obstacles and overcoming them is what motivates me and keeps me going.”
Johnson also appreciates how his job allows him to interact with everybody and the different organizations on the installation. He feels that what he and his team do with the services side of PMO is a huge benefit to everybody on the base.
Outside of his professional life, Johnson enjoys being involved with Little League baseball and softball. He has been volunteering since 2012, and since then, has grown to love the game, give back to the community, and see the growth of the kids. Johnson originally started as a coach but has transitioned to volunteering as an umpire.
Johnson’s goals for the future are to potentially become the services officer when the current one leaves and to explore more opportunities for antiterrorism.
“I want to go wherever I can be challenged with work and where I feel like I’m going to be an asset to the organization and the people I work with,” Johnson said.
| Date Taken: | 03.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2024 14:14 |
| Story ID: | 467504 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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