Lank named Reserve's best CE manager Published Jan. 31, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Douglas Hays 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Delivering equipment and excellence, a Grissom civil engineer manager was named best in the Air Force Reserve. Karen Lank, Air Force Reserve Command Contingency Emergency Management Facility material handler supervisor, was selected as the command's Outstanding Civil Engineer Manager of the Year in the civilian supervisor category for 2013. In her current role, Lank heads an AFRC-run organization that acts as a central storage location for civil engineering supplies and equipment for regular Air Force and Air Force Reserve units world-wide. "We act as a resource that units can draw upon if they don't have those assets at their home locations," explained Lank. That responsibility includes supporting 30 prime base engineer emergency force (Prime BEEF) operations, six rapid engineer deployable heavy operational repair squadron engineers (RED HORSE) squadrons, 35 fire and emergency services units, and 25 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units. To provide that support, Lank manages seven government employees and $100 million worth of CE equipment inventory. "Ms. Lank has been a linchpin to the success of the CEMF," said Col. Michael McCully, AFRC director of installations and mission support. "Her shop ensures all civil engineers throughout the Air Force Reserve have the capabilities they need to be trained and prepared for any situation they may encounter." A prime example of this was when capability gaps with CE units throughout the command were identified. To reduce these, Lank and her team filled 580 orders with 49,000 items totaling $12.3 million, getting necessary and required equipment to the deficient units. Such responsibility requires an extreme attention to detail and perfection, which is something McCully said Lank embodies as she had 'zero deficiencies noted' during an annual equipment accountability office visit in 2013. "The results have been nothing short of phenomenal," McCully added. "Through her efforts, the units now have more time to concentrate on their readiness training requirements and minimize the issues that surround reportable equipment." Those results have also translated into financial savings as well. "Under her supervision, the CEMF has successfully saved millions of dollars in material accounting and repair costs on CE Prime BEEF equipment," McCully said. "We are extremely proud of this award and it shows how well our folks in the command assist the citizen Airmen in their training efforts." Lank's success is no surprise to some, especially with her experience, which dates back to regular Air Force duty when she was an inventory control specialist at Grissom from 1980-1992, with a one-year remote tour to Osan AB, Korea, in 1987. She joined the Air Force Reserve in 1994 working in material management and retired as a master sergeant in 2008. During that time she became a contractor with CEMF in 2007 before taking on the civil service role as supervisor in 2011. While Lank's journey with the Air Force is in its fourth decade, she said has no plans to stop now and gives much of the credit for her accomplishments to her team. "I am very proud to be a part of this great Air Force, and I am proud to work with such an outstanding group of people that work hard to make this operation successful," she said. "This operation has come a long way since it was started in 2006, and it is nice to have the accomplishments recognized. "I would like to continue to work at CEMF and be a part of its continued growth," Lank added. Lank is now representing AFRC in an Air Force-level competition for this award. Grissom is not only home to the CEMF, but the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the AFRC, as well as three Army Reserve units and a Marine Corps communications detachment. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
