NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Norfolk’s COVID-19 Pandemic Action Response Team won the DLA Team Performance Award (Small Team) in the Agency’s 54th Annual Employee Recognition program for their superior work performance, teamwork and outstanding support.
With 70% of the organization’s personnel unavailable due to underlining health conditions, the manager of the out-loading mission consolidated the remaining 30% of personnel consisting of all volunteers, to form the C-PART. This initiative, combined with daily adjustments and precise execution, resulted in a zero decrease in performance. The C-PART team – made up of a stevedore, a distribution process worker, a hustler driver and two block and bracers – emulated DLA Distribution Norfolk’s “If it’s not safe were not doing it!” motto, and thanks to the family-like culture, individuals felt zero pressure or push-back when it came to self-reporting safety issues including COVID-19 symptoms and unsafe actions which proved priceless to keeping the entire team healthy.
When given the option to take safety leave, this team selflessly declined, choosing instead to accept the challenge and stay-the-course – the epitome of selfless service. Their combined efforts were even more impressive given manning shortages which started at 55% and spiked at times past 75% due to the pandemic; still this abridged team continued to march toward its goal of accomplishing a throughput goal of 10 days or fewer with historical results. In total, the team’s production continued to surge daily posting monthly throughput averages under 10 days, culminating with the team, for the first time ever, meeting, succeeding and crushing metrics with an annual throughput time and metrics of 8.47 days – “tailgate to offer.”
DDNV’s C-PART successfully performed over 1,000 container moves and scanned, consolidated, wrapped, blocked, braced and completed approximately 634 shipping containers in 46 days destined for 18 different overseas locations with approximately 40,413 cube of mission critical and life sustaining items including foods, medical equipment, no-touch digital thermometers, protective masks, hand sanitizer, toilet tissue, tissues, latex gloves and sanitation wipes weighing more than 186 ton and valued as priceless. Thanks mainly in part to the complete buy-in from the C-PART, the team accomplished a feat believed to be impossible by most.
The response team’s ability to adapt, adjust, cover-down and overcome each obstacle it faced including one of the biggest ever – the COVID-19 pandemic – was truly amazing. This team exemplifies the “deliver with pride!” slogan. Their job performance, dedication, resiliency and commitment directly contributed to the overall success of DLA Distribution Norfolk and the ability to accomplish the mission of providing global support to our customers worldwide.