310th ESC unit and Warrant Officer recognized at Transportation Corps ceremony
FORT LEE, Va. – 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command’s own received awards at the Transportation Corps “Of the Year” awards ceremony on Monday, July 27th.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Yelena Popko of the 310th ESC Headquarters & Headquarters Company was awarded as the Reserve component Warrant Officer of the Year.
“I am truly honored to receive this award. None of what I accomplished would have been possible without the incredible team that supported every mission along the way. I am grateful for this recognition and extremely proud to be a transporter and member of the Transportation Corps,” said Popko.
The 705th Transportation Company was awarded the Reserve Component Small Unit Award. Former commanding officer of the 705th Capt. Derek Gaier was present at the ceremony to accept the award along with the current company leadership. Gaier said:
“This award highlights the accomplishments that the 705th has been able to achieve over the past 20 years, and is the culmination of the unit's overall drive to achieve high readiness standards.”
Gaier described how the unit shone while operating at the Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise (QLLEX), ultimately traversing over 134,000 miles and moving in excess of 1.1 million gallons of fuel over a six-day period.
Gaier went on to say that the unit had completed this feat while maintaining its Contingency Response Force posture, conducting regular equipment maintenance, maintaining Soldier readiness, and performing administrative duties throughout the 2025 calendar year.
The Transportation Corps "Of the Year" awards honor outstanding Active Duty and Reserve personnel and units for exceptional service during the past calendar year. Individual eligibility extends to specific junior- to mid-tier Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs, Enlisted soldiers, and GS (GS-9–12) or FWS (up to grade 10) civilians serving in transportation roles. Additionally, small and large units—ranging from Detachments to Battalions with transportation missions—are recognized for exemplary performance.