I Own This: August 2023 Nominees

PS Magazine’s I Own This campaign is designed to recognize Warfighters who exemplify the highest standards of care for their assigned vehicles and equipment and contribute in meaningful ways to their unit's overall maintenance and supply posture. In short, they live and breathe readiness.

This month, we had three Warfighters nominated for this program. All are deserving of this recognition. One was selected at random to get the spotlight placed on them. For August 2023, that Warfighter is A1C William P. Cooley, 55th Rescue Generation Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), AZ.
   
How you came to know/observe the nominee's actions? I am A1C Cooley's frontline supervisor. He always conducts maintenance to the highest standards and sets the example for others to follow. He takes the time to train new members of the unit, which results in the 55th having top-notch maintainers.  
 
Why does this individual deserve recognition? His devotion to by-the-book maintenance helps ensure the unit is always ready to execute its combat search and rescue mission. He has a keen eye for detail. For example, he discovered an out-of-limits swashplate scissor link and quickly took action to source the proper replacement components. Once he had parts in hand, he took the opportunity to train two airmen on the task. Airman Cooley also discovered a crack on a main beam on the helicopter and assisted with completing the engineering request by providing data about the crack. Lastly, Airman Cooley used his knowledge to train four new airmen on the folding process. These actions and many others resulted in improved unit qualifications and higher-quality maintenance overall.
   
Soldier's Name: PFC Jose Ruiz
Unit: 97th Civil Affairs BN (Special Ops/Airborne), Fort Liberty, NC
Position/Title: Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic
Component: US Army/Active
NSN or End Item: Truck, utility
Nominated By: SFC Cody Roberts

Justification: PFC Ruiz came to the unit as a fresh-out-of-AIT 91B, with just the knowledge he gained in his training. Since arriving, he has excelled at being a maintainer and tackles every task he receives with little-to-no supervision. He's a sponge for knowledge and was an integral part to the unit's success during participation in the FY23 Division (1st Special Forces Command) Army Award for Maintenance Excellence program. Not only does he provide maintenance support to six civil affairs companies and an HHC, he also maintains his own joint light tactical vehicle. PFC Ruiz is an integral part to the 97th Civil Affairs battalion maintenance team, as well as the Army as a whole.

---

Soldier's Name: SFC Rudy Varela
Unit: Bravo Company, 101st Signal BN (EAB)
Position/Title: Motor Sergeant
Component: US Army/NY National Guard
NSN or End Item: Commo/Electronics
Nominated By: SFC Jarad Fatigate

Justification: SFC Varela is the first motor sergeant I've met who's an expert in his field. He's maintained an operational readiness (OR) rate of above-90% throughout his time in the unit. He does the physical work and knows GCSS Army and trains and motivates his and the battalion's Soldiers on doing things right.