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Tinker employee up for Air Force-level award

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. O'Brien
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  One of Tinker's own is up for an Air Force-level award. In mid-January, Justin Hottle learned he has been nominated for the 2012 Air Force Association Outstanding Civilian Wage Employee of the Year award. He has already won the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and Air Force Materiel Command-level awards.

Mr. Hottle, 551st Commodities Maintenance Squadron Sheet Metal/Paint/Services Section chief, who has been in his current position for roughly three years, said he is honored by the nomination.

"It's very humbling," Mr. Hottle said. "I consider it a privilege to be nominated because I work for the best and most talented organization at Tinker."

Mr. Hottle has several accomplishments to his name. As section chief, he has developed a new wash/strip process -- a first of its kind for the commodities maintenance group. He added 32,000 hours of new workload for the group and reduced wash/strip customer wait time from 30 days to two days.

Mr. Hottle is also the 76th Commodities Maintenance Group team lead on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's heavy metal compliance efforts and has implemented safety and health initiatives, which affect more than 2,400 personnel.

Furthermore, Mr. Hottle is Green Belt Lean certified from the University of Oklahoma and has led or participated in more than 35 lean events for his squadron.

"After we run a lean event, it's fun to see the results that come from that -- the employee involvement and the customer satisfaction," Mr. Hottle said.

Mr. Hottle has led his section to score an "outstanding" rating during the Logistics Compliance Assessment Program inspection and represented the OC-ALC at the Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards in 2011.

Mr. Hottle said he has become a better manager to his employees by emulating what he sees in his own supervisor, Phil Moser. Nine supervisors and approximately 140 employees report to Mr. Hottle.

Mr. Moser said Mr. Hottle is a proven leader, particularly in the development of lean processes in Bldg. 9001.

"His section has set the standard, winning the last three Commodities Lean Awards of the Quarter," said Mr. Moser, 551st CMMXS Local Manufacturing Flight chief. "Whether it was reducing the overtime rate in his paint shop from 24 percent to 4 percent, or developing our new service area, which keeps our production folks on the floor, Justin and his team lead the way. I know our leadership group is very proud of Justin and his accomplishment over the past year."

Col. Mike Christian, 76th Commodities Maintenance Group commander, agreed.

"Justin has been working hard for a long time and I'm excited to see this award finally catch up with him," the colonel said. "As a leader, he's not afraid of a challenge, whether it's taking care of his people, redesigning production processes or enhancing the quality of the products we provide to the warfighter. The commodities maintenance group is very proud to call him one of our own and wish him well at the next level of competition."

Mr. Hottle came to Tinker 15 years ago as a Wage Grade-5 plastic worker. When he's not at Tinker, he can be found in Choctaw, playing golf, attending his son's soccer games or his daughter's basketball games. He has been married for 15 years.