MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Capt. Miguel Cruz, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 maintenance management officer and S-2 intelligence officer, received the 2010 1st Lt. Travis Manion Memorial Marine Corps Officer Logistician of the Year Award during the 7th annual MCA Ground Logistics Awards dinner in Arlington, Va. Feb. 3.
Cruz received the award for the work he did as part of the U.S. Forces - Iraq J4 last year.
“This award recognizes the company grade officer who has made the greatest impact in the world of Marine logistics, whether it is through the development of logistics programs, doctrine, through other significant accomplishments in Marine logistics, or through significant accomplishments as a logistician representing the Marine Corps,” Cruz said.
Cruz worked on the team that planned all the logistics for the drawdown to 50,000 troops as mandated by the president.
Among his contributions, Cruz coordinated planning between approximately a dozen one starlevel units and the USF-I J4 headquarters. Cruz designed and executed the data collection effort necessary for planning to take effect, as well as increased throughput at Al Asad Air Base.
Cruz received the award for increasing the passenger redeployment capacity at Al Asad Air Base by more than 200 percent. This saved the U.S. government more than $35 million during the drawdown, added logistics flexibility to U.S. Central Command, and helped meet the president’s Aug. 31, 2010 deadline.
This was the inaugural presentation for the 1st Lt. Travis Manion Memorial Marine Corps Officer Logistician of the Year Award.
The award is named in honor of Manion, who was killed in action in Iraq. Manion was serving as a member of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and working temporarily with a military transition team. Not long after arriving to his first duty station, Manion and his unit were sent to Iraq for their first tour.
During the tour, the 1st Reconnaissance Marines were part of many critical events including uncovering weapon’s caches throughout the region and assisting with other Iraqi transition missions.
Manion returned from this successful tour in March 2006 and was selected to be part of a military transition team. He deployed back to Iraq Dec. 26, 2006, for his second tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Manion worked diligently along with his Marines to change the outcome in Fallujah, building a brotherhood with the Iraqi Army.
During a patrol mission April 29, 2007, Manion was killed by enemy sniper fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq while fighting to defend against an enemy ambush.
Winning the award that commemorates Manion is a great honor. His legacy is what new Marines should be required to learn and should already be learning, said Cruz. Manion is a hero, like those we learned about during boot camp.
Cruz lived up to his reputation as a Marine by excelling at the projects and missions set before him.
“I would not have been so honored if I didn’t live up to my reputation as a Marine,” said Cruz. “I encourage all Marines to live up to it, no matter the rank.”