Kadena's End-Office brings home DISA Award fourth year in a row

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Omari Bernard
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The 18th Communications Squadron's Telephone Switch was recently recognized by the U.S. Pacific Command with the Defense Information Systems Network Facility of the Year Award for the fourth year in a row.

Kadena's Defense Switched Network End-Office competed against and bested 17 other end-offices from multiple Department of Defense services across PACOM to bring home the award.

A few of the major accomplishments which helped them achieve this were providing uninterrupted DSN services for 36,000 customers across multiple installations and aiding the 18th Medical Group's $250,000 call distribution server, which helped more than 5,000 appointments last year. 

"Our job is to sustain and develop communications for all of Kadena, Okuma and various remote sites around the island," said Airman 1st Class Christopher Walk, 18th Communications Squadron cyber transport technician. "We have seven military members and 11 master labor contractors that contributed to earning this award."

Every week the members of Kadena's End-Office are training each other, pushing each other and networking to ensure the installations they support have reliable and secure networks and communications that meet the Defense Information Network Agency standards.

Airman 1st Class Noah Landa, 18th Communications Squadron cyber transport technician, enjoys learning and figuring out what each job has to teach him while maintaining communication systems.

"I always try to do the best at what I do," Landa said. "We put a lot of work into what we do, keeping the system up and keeping the base running. I feel like we all make a big impact. It's not just one of us. It's training each other, learning from each other and networking."

According to Tech. Sgt. Shannon Dos, NCO in charge of voice network systems, the attitude and commitment to the job every day is what allows her end-office to be the best facility in PACOM.

"We commit to what needs to be done and do our best day in and day out." Dos said. "We have great teamwork and support that allows us to support our customers, that's what we're here for."

Dos said it is a privilege and means a lot to the unit to be recognized as the best in PACOM and hopes to take the award again for 2016.

"As long as I'm here I'll try to make sure we keep winning it," Dos said. "Winning this award means that our hard work, dedication and always putting the customer first even above our own needs is paying off, people appreciate it and they support us in turn the same way we support them."