JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — Staff Sgt. Latasha Reynolds is the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing's Tuskegee Airman of the Week for June 14-20.
"It is an honor for me to congratulate Staff Sgt. Latasha Reynolds as our Tuskegee Airman of the Week," said Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, 332nd AEW commander. "She is only a third of the way into her deployment and she is already Tuskegee Airman of the Week. We are very proud to have her here and an honor to present her with this award.
"I want to thank her for the outstanding work she does," added Bishop. "(Reynolds) is helping us take our legacy into the future with today's 21st-century Tuskegee Airmen."
Reynolds, a 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron customer-service craftsman, said she is very happy to receive the award.
"I feel great (to be presented with this award)," said the Beaufort, S.C., native. "It was awesome to be able to take it (award) home, take it all the way to the wing."
While working as a customer-service craftsman, Reynolds initiated the first-ever JBB facility managers training, instructing 76 and coordinating 130 new facility managers -- while reducing work orders by 40 percent.
Furthermore, Reynolds, who is deployed here from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., managed land-mobile radio assets worth $835,000 and inspected, re-keyed and audited more than 150 items. Additionally, she's dispatched 34 craftsmen to 17 emergencies at JBB.
In addition to her day-to-day mission, Reynolds is also involved in JBB activities and is enrolled in off-duty education. She challenges others to do the same.
"I would just encourage Airmen to get out and do more than just sitting in your office working your 12-hour shifts," she said. "There is a lot going on to get involved in. Take some classes, have fun and just stay mindful of what's going on around you."
The Red Tail 5/6 publicity officer, Reynolds briefed and scheduled morale events and fundraisers. She has completed a Humanities College-Level Examination Program test and is currently enrolled in biology. She is only six college credit-hours shy from achieving her Community College of the Air Force degree in maintenance-production management.
Overall, Reynolds attributes her success to her leadership and her ECES counterparts.
"My supervisors, good leadership, and good mentors (have helped me succeed)," she said. "I love my job, and I love the people I work with. We all work together and come through to get things done."
Reynolds' supervisor, Master Sgt. Robert Cotto, 332nd ECES operations-management NCO-in-charge, is proud to have her on his team.
"She is one of the finest operations-management Airmen that I've ever worked with, not just here at JBB, but throughout my career as an NCOIC of customer service," said Cotto, a Corona, Calif., native. "She is very knowledgeable and always comes to work with a smile.
"She is definitely a team player," continued the sergeant, who is deployed here from Spangdalem Air Base, Germany. "She is not just a customer-service team player, but all of CE and JBB, because we have to work well with everyone. She is very motivated. She set her goals from the day she landed; as her supervisor, I'm going to do everything I can to help her reach her goals."
The 332nd AEW Tuskegee Airman of the Week is selected based on an Airman's accomplishments both on- and off-duty and is open to Airmen in the ranks of E-1 to E-5.