MTMC employee is Army's top traffic manager of 2002

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, Jan-Feb, 2003

Two decades after starting work with the Military Traffic Management Command as a shipping clerk, Dr. Son, Hui-chol, has received the Army's top traffic management award.

Son, of the 837th Transportation Battalion, Pusan, Korea, was named the Army winner of the 2002 MTMC Excellence in Traffic Manager awards at the National Defense Transportation Association annual forum, Oct. 2, in Greensboro, N.C.

"I am very, very happy to receive the award," said Son, a supervisory traffic management specialist.

The MTMC award for Son is the second significant recognition Son has received in 2002. In February, he was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy of Shipping Management from Pusan's Korean Maritime Institute.

"I appreciate the opportunity that the National Defense Transportation Association has provided me to attend the annual meeting," said Son. "I now have a better understanding of how my work fits within the Defense Transportation Association."

The seven MTMC award winners were introduced by Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Privratsky, commander at that time.

"It is a high point each year to present these awards," said Privratsky. "We have a tremendous freight volume in the Department of Defense. Today, we recognize these seven, selected by their individual services."

In the award citation, Son was called "the best traffic manager with whom I've served in over 20 years of active duty," by Lt. Col. Floyd Driver, the terminal unit's former commander.

"Customer satisfaction and warfighter confidence is at an all-time high in this theater--due in large to Son's outstanding efforts and limitless traffic management knowledge," said Driver.

Among his attributes, said Driver, is mentoring professional development of his subordinates.

The accomplishments of Son, he said, include the successful reception and onward movement of 1,200 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, 300 Combat Bridge Transport systems, 380 Palletized Load systems and 24 Apache Longbow helicopters.

"Son is truly a team player in every sense of the word," said Driver. "He has clearly excelled while serving in the capacity of senior Korean national employee for the battalion, a highly sought-after duty that is rotated among the four most senior Korean employees."

Other MTMC Excellence in Traffic Management Award winners include: Air Force--Tech. Sgt. Tomas Huizar, 60th Aerial Port Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.; Marine Corps--Staff Sgt. Donald Cooper, Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va.; Navy--Carolyn Graves, Naval Transportation Support Center, Norfolk, Va.; Coast Guard--Robin Smithling, Coast Guard Finance Center, Chesapeake, Va.; Defense Logistics Agency--Anne DiSciullo, Defense Supply System Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Army and Air Force Exchange Service--Trina Elliott, Dan Daniel Distribution Center, Newport News, Va.