IMA named Senior NCO of the Year

  • Published
  • By Lois Walsh
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Most days, Tori Morris gets up, gets dressed and reports to her civilian job as the chief of individual protective equipment at the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Mobility Center. But, on the other days, she puts on a uniform and assumes her role as Senior Master Sgt. Tori Morris, the individual mobilization augmentee to the squadron's superintendent.

Air Force Reserve Command recently notified Sergeant Morris that she was the Air Force's selection for IMA of the Year in the senior NCO category, an award that took her completely by surprise. Part of her success is because the 20 military and two civilians she supervises as a civilian "held up their end while I was out of pocket.

"And thanks to my leadership for giving me the opportunity to excel and not be suppressed because it's sometimes tough to work both jobs in the same squadron."

Senior leadership also thanked Sergeant Morris for the attributes that make her the ideal representative for Reserve Command.

"Superior leadership and dedication define her as our SNCO candidate for this prestigious award," said Col. Arnie Bunch, Air Armament Center vice-commander. "She provided outstanding support to the center and LRS, demonstrated by her superior management of equipment preparation, personnel processing and deployment readiness in direct support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM."

Sergeant Morris supported six major commands and six wings for real-world deployments to OEF and OIF, processing more than 1,225 passengers. She maintained 14,000 mobility bags for both Eglin and Duke Field, equipping more than 1,600 troops for temporary duty and contingencies. She also prepositioned chemical warfare assets at the training site, which enhanced the wing's readiness posture by 98 percent.
Although she couldn't point to one event that led to her selection, Sergeant Morris said she puts 100 percent of her effort into whatever she does, whether on the civilian or military side of the house.

"I love what I do, I enjoy challenges," she said. "Anything that challenges is where I will excel because I put my whole heart and effort into it."
Sergeant Morris said her philosophy is to empower the people who work with her by sharing information "so they can step in while I'm not here. You're always going to make sure the mission can move forward, process for deployments and meet the objectives of what they need to do in my absence."

Whether it's overseeing 2.6 million supply transactions or maximizing aircraft availability, Sergeant Morris said so much success is because of the close working relationship with the unit and installation deployment managers and the personnel readiness unit. Among her personal goals is to reach the rank of chief master sergeant.

"I'm looking at command chief because I like to work with people and help them. I do a lot of mentoring with my young folks and although I don't have all the answers, I know where to get them," she said. "The support I've gotten from my senior leadership to do additional time in my military capacity allows me to gain that information, which I think directly contributed to this award."

Her boss, Lt. Col. Christopher Holmes, said  Sergeant Morris' professionalism, work ethic, and leadership are all incredible; she personifies the core values.

"It is a absolute honor and pleasure to have someone like that leading a section within the Logistics Readiness Squadron, Colonel Holmes said.