For the second time in three years, the South Dakota National Guard’s 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion has received the Gen. Walter T. Kerwin, Jr. Readiness Award for excellence.
The Pierre-based 152nd was announced as the recipient of the Kerwin award for 2019, which recognizes the most outstanding Army National Guard battalion in the nation for achieving the highest standards in training and readiness.
The national award is presented jointly on behalf of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), the Association of the U.S. Army, and the Reserve Officers Association. This is the third straight year a SDNG battalion has received the award (139th Brigade Support Battalion received for 2018).
The 152nd also received the Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord Trophy this year, presented by NGAUS, which similarly recognizes the Army National Guard unit with the highest level of readiness in the country. The Kerwin and Reckord awards also reflect the state of readiness of the battalion’s subordinate companies.
“It is an incredible honor for the whole battalion to be selected for this award,” said Lt. Col. Dave Moore, commander of the 152nd from Oct. 13, 2018 – Oct. 3, 2020. “Our selection as the Kerwin award recipient is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of all 152nd soldiers and a validation of all the hard work they put in.”
The 152nd battalion provides multifunctional logistics and support operations for U.S. forces, as well as provides command and control, administrative, logistics and training support of the battalion’s four assigned units and detachments located in six communities throughout the state. These units include the 1742nd Transportation Company (Sioux Falls, Flandreau), 740th Transportation Company (Milbank, Aberdeen), 665th Support Maintenance Company (Mitchell), and 730th Area Support Medical Company (Vermillion).
Recipients of the Kerwin award demonstrate excellence in operational planning, execution of training and maintaining high readiness standards above all other Army National Guard units for the training year. Evaluation criteria for the award include the areas of assigned personnel strength, percentage of personnel qualified in their duty position, attendance at monthly drill weekends and annual training, individual weapons qualification and physical fitness test scores, as well as an effective maintenance program.
The 152nd returned home in June of this year after serving on a successful 11-month deployment in the Middle East supporting U.S. and coalition forces in the region.
The Kerwin award was named for retired Gen. Walter T. Kerwin, Jr., who served as the first commander of United States Forces Command and also as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1974 to 1978. Kerwin was a strong advocate of the “One Army,” or “Total Army” concept that recognized the important role of the National Guard and U. S. Army Reserve. The plans and programs he set in motion resulted in a significant improvement in the readiness of reserve components.
Photo credit SD National Guard– 152nd pre-deployment photo from their Facebook page
Comments