DLA Distribution Yokosuka event celebrates employees, commemorates anniversary

Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, Yokosuka, Japan, leadership held an Employee Appreciation Day celebration in honor of the center's 25th anniversary at the installation's bowling center June 7.

"The Employee Appreciation Day was an opportunity to appreciate and recognize the hard work and dedication of our DLA Distribution, Yokosuka, workforce consisting of Japanese civilian employees, U.S. civilian employees, and military members assigned to all four sites at Yokouka, Okinawa, Sasebo and Iwakuni," said Bernard Domingo, deputy commander, DLA Distribution, Yokosuka, Japan. "Additionally, it was an opportunity to celebrate two other significant milestones; the implementation of Warehouse Management System at three of the four sites and DLA Distribution, Yokosuka's 25th anniversary of its establishment in April 1999."

Navy Cmdr. Ian G. Iliff, outgoing commander, DLA Distribution, Yokosuka, and Navy Cmdr. Daniel Maldonado III, incoming commander, DLA Distribution, Yokosuka, kicked off the Employee Appreciation Day by awarding three sailors with Sailor of the Quarter awards. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Zacharey Love, logistics specialist, received the Senior Sailor of the Quarter, second quarter, award. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class, Murphy Martinez, logistics specialist, received the Sailor of the Quarter, second quarter, award. Navy Seaman Christopher Dhurpat, logistics specialist, received the Junior Sailor of the Quarter, second quarter, award.

Iliff and Maldonado also recognized 39 employees' for their efforts during the WMS implementation. WMS is a commercial, off the shelf software that streamlines processes, increases productivity, improves operations, provides better customer support and enhances audit readiness.

The employees recognized for WMS implementation were:

• Kazuhiro Kobayashi
• Kazuyuki Mitomi
• Tooru Negishi
• Gabriela Franco-Padilla
• Phillip Lee
• Sha Ballard
• Stephen Mays
• Seiroh Koike
• Lt. Avery Corliss
• Lt. Abbie Purdy
• Hirobumi Ako
• Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexandria Sifuentes
• Petty Officer 1st Class Xiaomeng Xhu
• Seaman Tyresse Grover
• Kevin Tagawa
• Reynard Migano
• Haruyasu Yotsuyanagi
• Toshiyuki Tachikawa
• Masayoshi Tamai
• Youichiro Ogihara
• Takahiro Ezawa
• Yasuyuki Tanaka
• Shigeru Samejima
• Yoshiaki Murakami
• Randal Pope
• Tomo Masuyoshi
• Shrestha Santosh
• Harufumi Ishii
• Tsuyoshi Kumagai
• Takashi Horiuchi
• Yukio Ookawa
• Nobuyuki Sato

After the award presentation, employees engaged in friendly bowling competition with their peers. DLA Distribution, Yokosuka, employees and directors also used the event to bid farewell to Iliff and welcomed Maldonado.