# DLA Troop Support announces annual employee award winners 

/ Published Feb. 8, 2023
PHILADELPHIA
DLA Troop Support announced the 2022 awardees for Team of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, and Employee of the Year on January 31.  

The Construction & Equipment Strike Team was the organization’s top team of the year. 

“The award is a nice recognition, and we are humbled to receive it,” said Troy Vokes, Chief, Plans and Integration and member of the team. “Working selflessly together, blending in the classified work requirements, across multiple time zones, two continents and an ocean with the focus on one single thing – warfighter always.” 

According to the award nomination, The C&E Strike Team provided unparalleled Ukrainian contingency support by initiating four different Stock Transfer Orders (STO) ahead of a need to ensure mission accomplishment. To date, the team’s innovation has led to incredible contingency support with close to 9,500 Ukraine focused traditional support orders valued at over $21 million.  

Team of the Year winners were selected based upon how they demonstrated team initiative and innovation. 

The team orchestrated achievement for 60 Tailored Vendor Logistics Support contracts valued at over $329 million.  As of January 2023, the team has delivered 4,000 cots, 1,300 space heaters, 29,000 fence posts, 188,000 feet of board lumber, 6,900 plywood sheets, 140,000 sandbags, and 1.18 million feet of barbed wire. 

“We are humbled for the recognition,” Vokes added. “Our team is only one example of countless success stories across C&E, the other Troop Support Supply Chains and Support Offices.” 

John S. Cuorato Jr, Integrated Supplier Team Chief of Special Operational Equipment, was awarded Supervisor of the Year. 

Cuorato, who started with Troop Support in August 2009, did not miss a beat. He stepped up to fill his supervisor's role during an unforeseen emergency. 

“I never thought I would win something like this!” said Cuorato.“Especially with so many great people in Troop Support.” 

“This award tells me that at the very least, I’m doing my best to focus on the right things,” said Cuorato. “I only won something like this because I work with the best, “I would not be recognized for what I do without them working so hard for the warfighter, making customer support and the customer’s mission their top priority.” 

He is personally responsible for writing 911 awarded contracts in Fire & Emergency Services Equipment, Special Operational Equipment, and Tents, all valued at $1.44 billion. 

As stated in his nomination packet, Cuorato jumped at the complex opportunities to connect the C&E support capabilities to constantly evolving, and dynamic support needs in Eastern Europe.  To date, he skillfully led, and orchestrated the achievement for 40 Tailored Vendor Logistics Support contracts valued at over $100 million.  

“I hope to continually be the same kind of supervisor for a long time to come!” said Cuorato. 

Herminio Ferrer, a Materiel Planner in Clothing & Textiles Utility Clothing Team, is Troop Support’s Employee of the Year. 

“When I received the news, I was in disbelief at first,” said Ferrer. “I had to read the email three times!” 

Ferrer acted as mentor for two new C&T employees in addition to managing his own projects. 

Ferrer’s greatest contribution to C&T was his creation of a private page within the James Donald Armstrong system in 2022. JDA is used by planning to review the supply position of all items managed by the DLA. Previously, Materiel Planners had to obtain the information from two other JDA pages, then consolidate them into one spreadsheet. 

Ferrer is thankful for the opportunity DLA has given him, and for his fellow C&T employees. “This award means a lot for me because, it shows that hard work always gets rewarded when you are least expecting it,” said Cuorato. 

Congratulations to the 2022 winners.