DUKE FIELD, Fla. -- Maj. Chris Mazzey, 919th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, was recently named as a recipient of the 2018 Gen. Lew Allen Jr. Trophy.
Mazzey won the Outstanding Logistics Readiness Officer category for Air Force Reserve Command.
The award, which recognizes officers and senior non-commissioned officers who have made outstanding contributions to mission execution, is one of the most prestigious in the maintenance and logistics readiness career fields.
For Mazzey, the achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Airmen who make the mission happen and the teams he led during the period for which he was nominated.
“The significance of this award is tremendous,” Mazzey said. “It’s a huge deal for us--it was my unit here and the unit from my deployment operating the Erbil Aerial Port under the 442nd Air Expeditionary Support Squadron in Iraq--without those Airmen’s contributions, I would have never been considered for this award.”
In terms of providing critical logistics capabilities any time, any place, the squadron’s mission and its impact are evident across the wing, Mazzey said.
“From supply, to fuels, to aerial delivery, to log plans, to vehicle operations and maintenance, we really touch everything in the wing,” Mazzey noted. “This award is not for me, it’s for my folks.”
Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Bragg, 919th SOLRS logistics plans superintendent, explained that Mazzey’s selection is a testament to his dedication to the mission and, more importantly, the Airmen he has led since taking the reins as commander.
“We were without a commander for over a year, so he has definitely stepped up and filled that slot,” Bragg said. “He worked 10 to 12 hours or more a day to ensure the mission never failed. He has provided outstanding leadership to the unit by personally making sure every member of the squadron is taken care of. He has boosted morale significantly, and his can-do attitude is infectious.”
The annual award pays tribute to Gen. Lew Allen Jr., who served as the Air Force’s tenth chief of staff and a bomber pilot for Strategic Air Command.
According to nomination requirements, Gen. Allen’s early career “was punctuated by multiple assignments in nuclear capable units and he earned a PhD in Physics in 1954. He continued to serve as a pioneer in scientific and research projects throughout his career, which culminated as Commander Air Force Systems Command in 1977, followed by Chief of Staff, USAF in 1978.”
Mazzey will go on to compete for the Air Force level award.