Logistics superintendent wins AETC traffic management award Published April 7, 2011 By Steve Hoffmann Keesler News staff KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Senior Master Sgt. Juan Benavidez, 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron superintendent, won Air Education and Training Command's Thomas P. Gerrity National Defense Transportation Agency and Surface Deployment and Distribution Command award for excellence in traffic management. Sergeant Benavidez, who's currently deployed, is an international traffic management officer with the 81st LRS responsible for 160 military and civilian personnel. Sergeant Benavidez oversaw the delivery of 4,000 pounds of oil recovery equipment and bedded down 67 Army National Guard Soldiers in support of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill last summer. Sergeant Benavidez also played a key role in preparing for the base's Unit Compliance Inspection. His team fixed 160 discrepancies which helped his squadron earn an "excellent" rating. While assigned to Pacific Air Force, Sergeant Benavidez directed logistics for a combined U.S. and Japanese aviation training relocation exercise. He documented the movement of nearly 7.5 tons of cargo, 79 passengers and devised a plan to move mission capable parts between theaters to sustain flying throughout training operations. Sergeant Benavidez was instrumental in reinstating Patriot Express, the military's chartered commercial air service for service members and their families, to Misawa Air Base, Japan. By proposing to increase aircraft utilization, it's estimated that Sergeant Benavidez's plan could save $200,000 annually as well as improve the quality of life to over 2,000 passengers leaving Misawa. Sergeant Benavidez orchestrated three wing-wide mobility training days and guided his subordinates through three exercises with "excellent" overall ratings, garnering two "outstanding" team awards and the 2009 PACAF Daedalian Excellence Award. Additionally, he created a training program for augmentees, certifying them on 10 deployment tasks for each function. This impressed both Gen. Gary North, Pacific Command commander, and Lt. Gen. Loren Reno, PACAF commander, who wanted his program implemented PACAF-wide. Sergeant Benavidez also completed three college courses and earned his bachelor's degree in education, maintaining a 3.50 grade point average.