JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
He commands the largest Force Support Squadron in the Air Force, which numbers more than 2,000 people.
He understands there is no "I" in team, that it takes teamwork every day to meet the squadron's motto: "FSS - Expect the Best."
So it was no surprise when Lt. Col. Chad Schrecengost, 802nd FSS commander, recently received an Air Force level individual award, he was quick to deflect and shine the spotlight on his squadron.
"I'm humbled," Schrecengost said about receiving the Lt. Gen. Norm Lezy Award for outstanding leadership, contributions, support and dedication to Air Force Manpower and Personnel.
"It's not about me and I'm not the one who needs to be in the limelight," he said. "I'm proud of the honor, but I don't do anything by myself. Everything I do is associated with my FSS team. This recognition is not about me - it's about this unit."
That's why Schrecengost considers it a team honor even though the award recognizes an individual for making contributions of significant concern to the A1 community by displaying superior expertise and leadership qualities.
Among FSS highlights under Schrecengost's leadership in the awards package were serving 12 million people, managing the Air Force's largest food contract at $95 million with the lowest cost per meal, more than doubling the net income adjusted for depreciation
for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation fund from fiscal year 2010, and securing $7.3 million for end-of-year unfunded requirements for quality of life upgrades at Lackland.
Schrecengost's award was one of three FSS garnered at the Air Force level for 2011 performances. Other squadron honors were best Airman and Family Readiness Center and bowling program of the year. Those recognitions follow three awards received within the
squadron for 2010.
And the fact Air Staff has noticed the squadron's performance is not lost on FSS's group commander.
"The MSG team was thrilled to see our Force Support Squadron get some well deserved Air Force level recognition," said Col. Richard Houghton, 802nd Mission Support Group commander.
"The FSS team is a reflection of Lt. Col. Schrecengost's passion for taking
care of people. Their motto - 'Expect the Best' - nails it.
"The awards speak to the customer focus and relentless drive of the FSS team," Houghton said. "For the scope of services they provide, nobody in the Air Force does it more or better."
Schrecengost said the 802nd FSS deputy director, Eric Weston, and five flight chiefs - Mark Tharp, Sara Wilson, Don Freund, Maj. Don Jack and Billy Thompson - make his job easier.
"I couldn't ask for a better staff to work with," he said. "We really have a collaborative relationship.
"It's such a big organization with a diverse mission; one person can't do it all. Everybody cares; everybody has a niche. Everything we do is tied to customer service."
Dedication to customer service comes through daily, according to Houghton, who said a supportive customer base enables the squadron to fulfill its mission.
"The high-quality feedback we get from our mission partners enables the FSS team to continually make things better," the commander said. "People ought to expect the best from FSS - and they get it every day."