Military award certificate

There are not many Military Traffic Management Command employees who can expertly handle a landing craft mechanized, but Roberta Hermann is one of them.

The MTMC Headquarters command operations center action officer handles the vessel as part of her Army Reserve duties.

The expertise in that work has led to her selection by the National Defense Transportation Association as one of the top Army Reserve instructors for 2000.

"We have presented awards to service members for almost 20 years now," said Norbert Grabowski, an association spokesman.

"This is a way of recognizing our best teachers."

Hermann proudly received the National Defense Transportation Association Reserve Instructor Award on March 7 from her commander, Lt. Col. Lucas Polakowsky.

The commendation took Hermann, a sergeant first class, by surprise.

"I was honored," said Hermann. "It's nice to know people recognize it when you're trying to do your best to make a successful training program for the students."

Hermann was nominated by her battalion commander to receive the prestigious honor. Every year, reserve battalion commanders are asked to nominate their best instructors based upon their performance throughout the academic year.

In addition to Hermann, the Army and Marines nominated four candidates, the Air Force selected three, and followed by the Navy who selected a single candidate.

Hermann maintained excellent records for her students based on strict U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command guidelines. This work led to nomination and also helped the school earns its accreditation.

Hermann is task oriented and takes her work seriously. She has worked in MTMC's Command Operations Center for over a year. Hermann currently works with the command post exercise team and is in charge of the Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee training program.

As a Reservist, Hermann teaches the Watercraft Operator Course to students. The class features basic navigation, which includes: international code signaling, beach markers, fire fighting, navigational math, predicting tides, tidal currents, magnetic compass, compass error, marlinespike seamanship, piloting, navigation rules and watercraft operations.

Hermann is qualified to teach in student knowledge bases from specialist through sergeants first class. Her classes at Fort Eustis include 10-hour school days and 48-hour water exercise training missions on board the specialized military watercraft.

"Graduates from the course go on to serve as a vessel master," said Hermann.

Hermann began her military career in 1987 as an Army Reserve medical supply specialist. Two years later she became an active duty soldier and began serving as a watercraft operator.

In July of 1998, Roberta returned to civilian life and to the Army Reserves as instructor with the 7th Transportation Battalion, 4th Brigade, 80th Division, at Fort Eustis, Va.

The certificate awarded to Hermann includes the signatures of retired Lt. Gen. Edward Honor, association president, Maj. Gen. William Mortensen, Chief of Transportation, and Joseph Mattingly, Jr., chairman, of the association's Career Education Committee.