FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- The Air Force announced the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron to be the winners of the best Logistics Readiness Squadron in the Air Force awarded on 10 April.
The 92nd LRS won numerous awards last year due to their dedication, including their third consecutive Outstanding Unit Award, and it continues to receive recognition with the Major General Warren R. Carter Logistics Readiness Award.
“Due to the hard work and dedication to the mission, we have been recognized again, this time by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force,” said Maj. Chad Wharton, 92nd LRS commander. “The Major Gen Warren R. Carter Logistics Readiness Award, given on behalf of the Order of the Daedalians, solidifies us as the best LRS in the Air Force. All the years of chanting that we are the best, we’ve proved it!”
The 92nd LRS encapsulates various Air Force careers to include: supply, deployment and transportation for the installation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LRS continues to carry out mission essential support while maintaining health precautions.
“The LRS touches everything on base,” said Capt. Alex John, 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron material management flight commander. “We ensure every deployer heading out the door are equipped with all of their essential gear and weapons to go down range. We also have established safe practices working with maintenance to keep our aircraft mission ready with parts and supplies, to all of the ground transportation and fuel.”
The public presentation of the award was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Normally the Order of the Daedalians would visit our squadron for the presentation of the award, and then there would be several chosen members from different sections of the squadron to travel to Washington D.C. for the official ceremony,” John said. “Obviously with Coronavirus and its travel restrictions, none of it is possible at the moment. However, there are plans to have ceremonial events in the future as soon as the travel ban is lifted.”
The standard practices to control the pandemic such as keeping a physical distance and wearing a protective mask are necessary, but these safety procedures muffle day-to-day operations for the 92nd LRS.
“We are doing our best to maintain the right level of support,” John said. “Our Airmen have been doing an outstanding job at making sure they accomplish all mission essential requirements, while maintaining proper physical distancing, avoiding large congregation of personnel in a small area, and continuously cleaning down areas.”
Implementing COVID-19 procedures for the award-winning squadron has not hindered their efforts and motivation to continue being the best.
“We have a proven track record of being able to complete any task no matter what the requirements,” John said. “We are chosen and trusted to tackle monumental exercises like Mobility Guardian by providing all the logistical support for those entities.”
Throughout 2019, LRS coordinated and participated in multiple wing events to include: the Inland Northwest Skyfest Open House and Airshow, Global Thunder, and Air Mobility Command’s premiere Mobility Guardian Exercise, which hosted allies and partners from all services across the world.
“Major Wharton is an incredible leader who’s led an incredible team, down to the lowest level, these last two years,” John said. “When you have great leaders in a squadron and great Airmen leading each other, we’re really able to just hit home runs with everything that comes at us.”
This pandemic has made a significant impact on how the world functions day-to-day, but the 92nd LRS is completing the mission despite COVID-19 and helping Team Fairchild compete, deter and win.