Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany -- Defense Distribution Albany Georgia held its annual Employee Appreciation Day at Boyett Park Sept. 24.
Approximately 120 people spent a fun-filled afternoon playing games, eating hotdogs and cheeseburgers and socializing with their coworkers.
Rita Varner, deputy director, DDAG, said, “We try to do this annually just to give the employees a break. We have a bunch of hard-working folks. They give a lot of time and dedicate a lot of effort making sure that our customers get what they need.”
Varner said that at DDAG, “We have an inventory accuracy rate of about 99 percent, which is something we are really very proud of. We try to get everything shipped out in one day and we are now on a 24-hour clock. Our people do a fantastic job.
Varner mentioned that for Hurricane Ike, DDAG shipped out approximately 250,000 cases of Meals Ready to Eat for disaster relief.
She said, “This is something we are really proud to do. We are not only supporting our warfighters, but we are supporting our neighbors.”
Willy Toomer, crane operator, said he was trying to enjoy himself. Toomer has worked at DDAG for almost 25 years.
He said he likes working at DDAG because “it’s family oriented.” Toomer served in the U.S. Army for six years prior to working here.
Pat Anderson, transportation management specialist at DDAG, said, “First, we wanted to get food in the folks, enjoy and socialize. Then we have a survivor’s game, horseshoe competition, the dunking booth and the bouncer for the little kids. We also have bingo.”
Anderson said, “We work hard and believe in what we are working for. We want to make sure that these people here are noticed as well. Their hard work pays off.”
Todd Padgett, material identifier at DDAG, said he’s been at DDAG for 20 years. “This is a day when you get together with people you work with, maybe people you don’t see all the time but you still work together. It’s your chance to mingle, to just relax and enjoy yourself,” Padgett said.