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News | Aug. 10, 2015

Yokosuka’s Tokunaga wins Global Distribution Excellence: Vehicle/MHE Management Civilian Supervisor of the Year

By Emily Tsambiras DLA Distribution Public Affairs

Hirokazu Tokunaga has been named Global Distribution Excellence: Vehicle/Materiel Handling Equipment Management Civilian Supervisor of the Year for his focus on customer service and safety.

As Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Yokosuka, Japan’s Motor Vehicle Support Division operations director, Tokunaga is the MHE licensing official for foreign national operators, and provides MHE and vehicle safety training to 200 DLA Distribution Yokosuka employees and over 400 Yokosuka Naval Base employees.

As the distribution center’s subject matter expert and advisor on all aspects of equipment management, including proper operation, regulations, safety, and operator licensing requirements, in 2014 Tokunaga managed the operational schedule for 10 heavy vehicle drivers/MHE operators, which saw over 6,600 on-base deliveries with a total of more than 5,300 hours of operation.  His efforts supported shore and afloat customers with a 100 percent on-time delivery record.

His management of the on- and off-base delivery schedules enabled the Motor Vehicle Support Division operations section to achieve a combined 83.63 percent vehicle and MHE utilization rate, exceeding the DLA standard of 80 percent.

Tokunaga also developed and sustained a team of 13 professional drivers operating cargo vehicles ranging from five-ton stake trucks to 30-ton tractor trailers. His constant emphasis on safety resulted in more than 6,000 accident-free delivery hours in the Tokyo Greater Metropolitan Area; a significant achievement considering the area earned Japan the ranking of 12th worst for traffic worldwide.

“Mr. Tokunaga’s vast transportation experience and operations knowledge, coupled with his leadership and managerial skills, significantly impacted DLA Distribution, Yokosuka’s ability to provide superior support for over 100 ship and shore based units throughout the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf,” said Navy Cmdr. Brian Johnson, the distribution center’s commander.