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Command names senior military member of the year

An administrative specialist from Special Operations Command Joint Forces Command (SOCJFCOM) received top honors as the U.S. Joint Forces Command’s (USJFCOM) Reserve Senior Military Member of the Year for 2009.

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By Air Force Staff Sgt. Vanessa Valentine
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(NORFOLK, Va. – Sept. 1, 2010) -- An administrative specialist from Special Operations Command Joint Forces Command (SOCJFCOM) received top honors as the U.S. Joint Forces Command’s (USJFCOM) Reserve Senior Military Member of the Year for 2009.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Todd Merz works as the leading petty officer for SOCJFCOM’s Manpower, Personnel, and Information Directorate (J1).  He said the reason he was considered for the award is the experience and knowledge he gained in other DoD agencies, including the administrative, travel and courier service.

“I do have a wide variety of responsibilities.” Merz said.  “The level of difficulty in achieving success in each of those areas is significant.  Maintaining a level of proficiency in each area is and will continue to be challenging.

Merz assists with developing security instructions, clearances, inspections, visit requests, the check-in process and numerous other functions in the security area.

 “I have a background in security – albeit 5 years removed – and it helped out my shipmates in terms of writing instructions, standard operating procedures and emergency action plans,” he added. 

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Belinda K. Waters-Bey, a command special security representative, said “Having worked in the security field prior to coming to SOCJFCOM makes him an invaluable asset to myself and the command.”  

“Merz has a varied background and interacts well with his fellow co-workers.  He can easily come up with solutions to problems in the workplace” said Donna M. Pierce, SOCJFCOM’s manpower and personnel director, who is also Merz’s direct supervisor.

Pierce praised the petty officer’s abilities and positive demeanor as key reasons Merz won the award.

 “I have known Todd for several years.  We worked together when we were both in USJFCOM J1 and I was impressed by his professionalism and helpful attitude,” she said.   “Todd is my go-to person in the office.  He has a varied background and because of how well he interacts with his fellow co-workers, I feel I can give him anything and he will come up with a solution or answer.  If there isn't a direct way to get what we need, he comes up with alternatives.”

Waters-Bey praised his professional manner regardless of the situation.

“He goes out of his way to assist customers even when it isn't in his area of expertise. He comes to work early and stays late to ensure projects are on time or ahead of schedule” she said.

Merz credits his award to his fellow shipmates who assist him with problem solving.
 
“There have been times they have gone above and beyond to help me achieve success,” said Merz, who considers his greatest accomplishment the ability to help his shipmates succeed.  “I prefer that others receive all the credit because I do not like to reflect things back on myself; I want others to succeed more than me.”