Employee Spotlight: Kimberly Styron

RICHMOND, Va. -

Employee Spotlight focuses on outstanding nonsupervisory Defense Logistics Agency personnel across DLA Aviation and at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Organizational directors may nominate employees to be featured in this column by contacting DLA Aviation Public Affairs at [email protected].

Name: Kimberly Styron

Organization: DLA Aviation at Cherry Point

Years of service at DLA: Eight years

What is your job title, and what do you do specifically? I am a customer support specialist in the components/pneumatics cell, where we support Marine aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet, V-22 Osprey, KC-135 Stratotanker and the AV-88 Harrier II, to name a few. It's important that we provide the materiel our customers require in a reasonable amount of time so they can make the repairs needed to reach their year-end goals.

As an example of what I do, a hot item needed lately has been the auxiliary power unit for the Marine F-18 Super Hornet. The APU is a small jet engine normally located in the tail section of the aircraft that provides electrical and pneumatic power when the main engines are not running, and there are many parts needed for it to complete repairs. However, many of them are on back-order, and some are not expected for a few years. I took on the project to find surplus materiel for as many as I could, and I've been able to locate a good amount of them.

This is a small part of my duties, and I think it's important to mention that I am one of many people working on the F-18 APU and its components. All of us together make a great team.

How do you support the warfighter? Working at DLA Aviation is very important for me because of the teamwork that directly supports our customer - the warfighter. We provide the parts and material for the aircraft that our military will use to serve and protect our country, the beautiful United States of America, home of the free - because of the brave!

What aspect(s) of your current job gives you the most personal satisfaction? A lot of research is conducted to locate parts, but sometimes, they can't be found, and they go on backorder for as much as a year or two. But I locate government surplus, purchase it, and get it to the aircraft mechanics in a matter of days. It makes me feel good to know that I've done my job to the best of my ability.

What are your best practices for achieving goals or accomplishing tasks? The most important thing is to stay focused on the task at hand until you reach your goal.

Where do you see yourself five years from now? I will be working for DLA Aviation and still supporting our military, which is the best of the best! I just got promoted to a lead position and will start my new job later this month. I am currently satisfied with how far I have come, and I am not sure I want to go any higher. I like working directly with my co-workers and customers and feel fulfilled with where I am at this point in life.

What was your first job? I started working at 16 years of age as a cashier for a local grocery store chain. I learned a lot about customer service. You treat others the way you would like to be treated and always do it with a smile. It is very important to make others feel they can count on you to provide the best answers and service possible, whether customers or co-workers.

What is your proudest accomplishment and why? I became a mother to my two beautiful daughters, and I pray they stay with their goals in life and reach them. I'm also very thankful for the two granddaughters God chose to give me. That is fulfilling!

Have you had a mentor that helped you grow in your career? Since I've been with DLA Aviation, many mentors and helpers have assisted me in my career. I'd like to give a shoutout to a few of them. In the Material Management Division where I work now, there is Engine/Component IPT Support Branch Supervisor James Rath, Ron Henry, a customer support lead, and my current lead and a computer brain, Trang Ho Nguyen. There is also Clyde Shaeffer, deputy chief of the Planning and Support Division, Amber Kramer, a general supply specialist, and Stewart Young, a supply systems analyst in the Business Process Support Directorate in Richmond, Virginia. I have learned a lot from all of them and continue to learn something new every day.

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