Munitions Airman sets standards of excellence

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla --  Staff Sgt. Robert Singleton, the NCO in charge of munitions operations with the 6th Maintenance Squadron (MXS), received the 2015 Air Mobility Command (AMC) Munitions Maintenance Technician Supervisor award on Jan. 8, 2016 at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

The AMC Munitions Maintenance Technician Supervisor is one of the various Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Maintenance Award categories. The award is given to civilians or Air Force personnel who perform excellently at certain professional duties.

"It feels great to be recognized for the hard work I put in," expressed Singleton, an Atlanta, Georgia native. "It makes me proud to do my job because a lot of times you can forget how every little job has a greater impact on not only the Air Force, but our sister services as well." 

Singleton is part of an approximately 15-man munitions flight at MacDill. Although the wing's mission is air refueling and airlift support, Singleton and his peers support the base in its entirety, to include U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command.

According to Master Sgt. Kristopher Trettel, a munitions flight chief assigned to the 6th MXS, it becomes very rewarding for a munitions Airman to receive recognition at MacDill for outstanding work because it can typically go unnoticed due to the unique mission.

"He is a hard charging, by the book guy who cares deeply about the Air Force, AMC, MacDill AFB...and the munitions flight in its entirety," said Trettel. "He continues to go above and beyond what is expected of him and possesses the necessary tools to take control of tasks normally reserved for a senior non-commissioned officer."

Some of Singleton's accomplishments include: replenishing 82 expended air-to-ground munitions worth $9 million; saving $70,000 in transport cost by eradicating a one year backlog; and maintaining 100 percent quality assurance pass rate on 21 evaluations.

On a typical day, Singleton is responsible for ensuring that munitions operations are running smoothly, which include proper storing and accountability of the munitions along with providing munitions to members of Team MacDill.

"I really think it's a group effort because we have such a small flight here at MacDill; we rely on each other to have each other's backs," stated Singleton when asked about his feelings in regard to being recognized. "There are rough times, but in order to accomplish the mission, you have to keep pressing forward. Hard work pays off."