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News | Sept. 11, 2015

Oklahoma deputy director receives Blacks in Government Award

By Emily Tsambiras DLA Distribution Public Affairs

Augustus Mays, DLA Distribution Oklahoma City, Okla., deputy director, was one of two DLA Distribution employees honored with the 2015 Blacks in Government Military Meritorious Service Award Aug. 25.  The award honors military members and Department of Defense civilian employees who have supported the DoD mission and whose attributes best epitomize the qualities and core values of their respective military service or other DoD component.

A retired Air Force colonel, Mays’ career in the United States Air Force spanned 42 years in a variety of logistics assignments that included major command and joint staff billets.  He is experienced in all facets of logistics operations including logistics plans, flight line maintenance, and supply and transportation support activities.  He has commanded two supply squadrons, a logistics group, and two major defense distribution centers. 

As deputy director of DLA Distribution Oklahoma City, Okla., Mays assists in providing retail and wholesale supply, transportation and logistics support to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and all Tinker Air Force Base tenant activities to include the 552nd Air Control Wing, 507th Air Refueling Wing, 3rd Combat Communications Group, United States Navy Command Strategic Wing One, and 38th Engineering Installation Group.  This includes the receipt, packaging, inspection, storage, issue and shipment of nearly 1.6 million supply items annually.

Ned LaViolette, the distribution center’s director, says Mays has had a tremendous impact on distribution center operations.  “He is an astute fiscal steward and follows a strict adherence to mission-essential spending, regularly saving the government money in labor and non-labor costs.  He was the catalyst in the recovery of tools worth more than $833,000 from a local Air Force maintenance unit looking to dispose of the items.  The majority of these tools were reutilized to build tool kits within our Packing, Packaging, Preservation, and Marking Branch, increasing the branch’s productivity by over 10 percent.”

According to LaViolette, Mays’ impact is felt both on and off base.   He serves as the president of the local Oklahoma City Tuskegee Airmen Charles B. Hall Chapter.  As president, he encourages and supports aspirations of all youth, particularly minority youth in fields of Aviation and Aerospace Sciences, to encourage excellence and high achievement through educational training programs and summer camps.  He also spearheaded a campaign to donate a statue of Charles B. Hall to Tinker Air Force Base’s Air Park museum by raising more than $30,000 through fundraisers and donations. 

Blacks in Government, a non-profit organization with civil servant members throughout all levels of government and private industry, was incorporated in 1976 as an employee advocacy and professional development association.  BIG is committed to improving public service through promoting equity, excellence, and opportunity in the workplace.