USFK recognizes Wolf Pack civilian

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amanda Savannah
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  A Korean civilian from the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron here was recently named the 2010 U.S. Forces Korea Technician of the Year for the annual USFK Civilian Employee of the Year awards.

Kim Yong-Sik, 8th CES construction inspector, traveled to U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, Republic of Korea, to accept his award from Gen. Walter Sharp, U.S. Forces Korea commander, during a ceremony Nov. 5.

"It's an honor to win this big award," Mr. Kim said. "I'm very happy about it. I know every other civilian (in USFK) is working pretty hard, so I think I'm kind of lucky."

Mr. Kim said he enjoyed attending the ceremony and receiving the award from General Sharp.

"It was a unique experience, especially the Army ceremony," he said. "General Sharp is very kind; I can see he treats civilians well, so it was very good to meet him."

Lt. Col. Gary Dorman, 8th CES commander, also traveled to Yongsan with Mr. Kim to support him and represent the Wolf Pack.

"I was honored to represent the Wolf Pack at the USFK Civilian Employee of the Year ceremony," Colonel Dorman said. "As the Wolf often mentions, our civilian employees are vital to accomplishing the Wolf Pack mission, and it was great to see Mr. Kim being recognized for his outstanding contributions."

The USFK Civilian Employee of the Year awards recognize employees with a history of exceptional or outstanding performance in their category each year, according to Norma Hipsher, 8th Force Support Squadron chief of the civilian personnel office.

Mr. Kim's accomplishments are no exception. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009, he managed $32 million in dorm construction, providing modern facilities to 528 warfighters, according to his nomination package. He also oversaw $8 million in heating and plumbing repairs to three dorms, boosting the quality of life for more than 700 Airmen.

Mr. Kim was also energy-conscious in 2009 as he supervised a $652,000 geo-thermal heat pump retrofit, reducing energy costs by $53,000 per year. He also oversaw a $2.1 million heating upgrade to three hangars, an energy reduction of $194,000 a year.

As much as Mr. Kim improved facilities and processes here, he also improved himself by devoting 40 hours to improving his English in 2009, increasing his communication skills and job effectiveness.

He has also been a positive influence on co-workers and customer service as he identified sub-standard craftsmanship in dorm construction and directed the contractor to clean and restore the dorm to its original condition, eliminating additional workload to dorm and civil engineering personnel. He also masterminded and led training for the construction management section here, significantly reducing the transitional period of 12 flight personnel.

Not only does Mr. Kim strive to contribute to the USFK and Wolf Pack's missions and improve himself, but he finds time to volunteer as well. In 2009, he volunteered 10 hours to aiding the homeless, feeding more than 100 people at the Kunsan train station. He also taught and translated Korean to his military co-workers on the job, improving the language efficiency of 12 Airmen.

Although Mr. Kim's achievements garnered him the 2010 USFK Technician of the Year award, he said he couldn't have done it without his co-workers.

"I'd like to thank the civilians who I work with, and my military counterparts," Mr. Kim said. "They are also working pretty hard and if I'm not at the office they give me great help with my work, so we work together. Thank you to every single person I work with in my office."