BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Between May and October, the Defense Logistics Agency property disposal site in Grafenwoehr, Germany, was missing a property receipt specialist. While it may seem like one open position might not be that big of a deal, the loss of a full-time employee’s contributions can severely impair a small office’s ability to keep up with warfighter demand, particularly in a region where rotational forces run a brisk training tempo.
Luckily for the site, it could lean on Material Examiner and Identifier Clint Sweeney, who was honored as DLA Disposition Services 4th Quarter Employee of the Quarter for his willingness to take on extra responsibilities and keep the agency’s property turn-in support services steady.
“Clint Sweeney has been a longtime value to DLA,” said Area Manager Mark Miskin, who oversees the Grafenwoehr site, along with others in Kaiserslautern, the United Kingdom, and in Djibouti. “He has a very strong work ethic and friendly attitude, towards customers and colleagues alike. I have been thoroughly amazed by his knowledge and the time and energy he has sacrificed for the agency.”
Miskin said that in addition to “carrying the weight” of the missing receiver position, Sweeney also flexed to cover down on the site’s material handling equipment program and its demilitarization operations when coworkers were on sick leave or traveling for agency temporary duty assignments.
“Mr. Sweeney has proven himself an asset not just to the site but also to DLA Disposition Services and the warfighter,” Miskin said. “[His] knowledge of property and strong work ethic have shined through while he has taken on extra duties to keep the Grafenwoehr site operating, without falling behind.”
Sweeney said he grew up in small town Minnesota and enlisted in the Army after high school, filling several temporary federal civilian roles in the years after his military service.
“When I started in 2004 with DLA, I realized that I had finally found the perfect job for me,” Sweeney said of the term position he filled at what used to be known as DLA’s Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office, or DRMO, in Schweinfurt, Germany. He remained in Schweinfurt until it closed in 2014, when he transferred to Grafenwoehr.
“On a day-to-day basis, I’m ensuring the government is receiving the biggest bang for its buck,” Sweeney said. “Every day is a new day. When you come into work you can try to plan what your day is going to be like, but most likely something different is going to happen just because the customers’ mission has changed or because world events have changed. You always have to remain flexible and aware of things that are happening around you.”
Sweeney said his colleagues in Germany are great to work with, and he credited them with demonstrating a wide variety of talent and experience that helps the team quickly resolve challenges and determine the best warfighter support solutions.
“I enjoy the customers and appreciate the fact that I can assist them in accomplishing the mission,” Sweeney said. “I’m proud of what I do.”