RICHMOND, Va. –
Employee spotlight regularly features outstanding non-supervisory personnel from throughout the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation and other DLA employees on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Organizational directors may submit the names of employees they wish to feature in this column to DLA Aviation Public Affairs.
Name: Marcial Cora Cruz III
Organization: DLA Aviation at Cherry Point
Years of service: 10 years, 8 months
Prior military experience: Army specialist for 11 years, medically retired
What is your job title, and what do you do specifically? I am the customer support specialist for the Hazmat and Pre-Extended Bin contract, which provides fast-moving, lost-cost, and readily available material to our customers. I’m the liaison between Fleet Readiness Center East, DLA, and our third-party logistics contractors, providing daily support to FRC-E.
Why did you decide to work for DLA? I still wanted to serve my country after I got out of the military. My father worked for DLA for 18 years and was there at the time of my transition, so I figured this was the best way to move forward with a career.
What do you like most about your job? Working with Hazmat and PEB. My role in hazmat and PEB supports the entire depot. When a customer requests material through the Hazardous Material Management System and we don’t have it in stock, we can inadvertently put an entire shop in a work-stop status. I attended virtual or in-person meetings daily with the shop, and I enjoy being able to put a face to a name and have a conversation with the customer, rather than just updating a spreadsheet. Seeing our customers face-to-face reassures them that their needs are important to us and that we are working hard to procure their material.
What are your best practices for achieving goals or accomplishing tasks? In one word, honesty. When discussing the status of material with our customers, I always take the same approach: complete honesty. When working with hazmat, you’re not going to hit every target date, but providing the best information will help support that shop. When material is unavailable, the shop can take action to mitigate the issue given sufficient time.
Why did you decide to stay within DOD? Having a military family played a significant role in my decision to join the service. I loved serving my country, and when I left the military, that fact didn’t change. I had an opportunity to keep serving my country while starting a lifelong career. It was a simple choice at that time, and I haven’t regretted it.
Professionally, where do you see yourself five years from now? I hope to be a supervisor within the next five years. I take a lot of pride in working for DLA and I want to help people advance their career by passing on my knowledge.
Who is the most influential person in your life, either past or present? My father is and has always been my hero. Everything that he has sacrificed for our family is immeasurable. He instilled all his knowledge and values in me. He taught me to never settle but to always aim higher than the expectations.
What is your favorite military aircraft? My favorite military aircraft is the RQ-7B Shadow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This was my first air vehicle program I worked on when I was in the Army. I spent many hours setting their safety wiring propellers and serving a crew chief. It was just some of my favorite memories of being in the military.
What is the most important thing in your life right now? My family is the most important thing in my life. I am a son, husband, father and grandfather to some of the greatest people in the world. With everything going on in the world and the uncertainness, they are my motivation to get up every morning and give 110%.