Captain named AFMC’s top company grade officer

  • Published
  • By Lois Walsh
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The captain is also Air Force's Logistics Readiness CGO of the Year

If you're a betting person, and the odds of winning were one in 4,226, chances are you wouldn't place the bet. 

However, for one captain here, he held the winning card when Air Force Materiel Command announced its top Company Grade Officer of the Year. 

Capt. Robert Sonnenberg, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Traffic Management Flight commander, achieved the No. 1 distinction due to his outstanding logistics
readiness performance and significant achievement while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The captain is also Air Force's Logistics Readiness CGO of the Year.

While deployed, Captain Sonnenberg filled a critical "in lieu of" role as the Air Force detachment commander for a group of 168 Airmen in eight specialty codes from vehicle operators and security forces to information managers. The captain could identify with the IMers, as he spent nine years in that role after enlisting in the Air Force in 1993. He entered the supply field after graduating from Officer Training School in 2002, and the 236 days spent in Iraq was his first deployment. 

"That was a long time away from my family but I was lucky being in this squadron (96 LRS). The convoy mission is made up of many of the vehicle operators (from Eglin)," he said. "I talked to numerous people who have been down range a few times so I had a lot of information to work with; I wasn't going in blind, I knew what I was getting into." 

Once in theater, Captain Sonnenberg ensured his Airmen had everything they needed to do their job, maintain a level of safety and react to enemy attacks. He also went out with convoys, on the line-haul missions that could last from eight to more than 25 days. He accumulated 1,800 miles in Iraq and came under improvised explosive device and mortar attack, which earned him a Bronze Star medal and the Army Combat Action Badge. 

Captain Sonnenberg said reminding his folks of their vital importance to the mission was key to leading his Airmen. 

"They needed to focus on what they were doing, bringing the supplies from point A to Point B to support the warfigher, while keeping in the back of their minds they would often become the trigger puller and the warfighter," he said. "We went through 27 enemy engagements and they became a major part of the conflict. They needed to maintain that level of awareness, safety and not push too hard or take unnecessary risks." 

Captain Sonnenberg readily admits one of his toughest challenges personally was ensuring his detachment remained focused after the death of Airman 1st Class Eric Barnes, who was killed in June 2007 as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an Air Force convoy about 100 miles south of Baghdad. 

"We had three convoys moving out on the day I had to tell them their buddy was killed, that was pretty tough," he said. "I had to keep them focused and keep the missions going. If we stop, the warfighters don't get their bullets or the gear they needed to do their job." 

Captain Sonnenberg said after that, it seemed like everything came into perspective.
"What once was a big deal no longer was," he said. "The amazing part is that everyone came together. I never saw such a strong set of individuals in my life. It was nothing leadership did, they just did it on their own." 

He proudly points out that the Airmen he led have received numerous awards from Air Force-level on down, including a nomination for one for the 12 Outstanding Airmen Award. 

"It correlated to all the work they did and their support for me and mine for them; it made the mission come together so well." 

Now back home, Captain Sonnenberg said his deployment experience has helped him evolve as an officer, a fact that the Air Force and command readily recognizes. It also gave him a heightened respect for what Airmen can do as his NCOs supervised 35 people on each combat mission including local nationals and dealt with the language barrier. 

"It made me a better leader," he concluded.