During one of her three tours in Afghanistan, Kendra Linne was tasked with a particularly large and complex delivery operation. There were multiple deliveries each day and numerous staff to organize down to the smallest detail. Kendra Linne needed to make sure the correct information was put into the central database in order for her staff to receive it in time for the actual deliveries.

“This was during my first tour in Afghanistan, and I did not quite have the lay of the land just yet. Everything was different once we landed there – we weren’t training any longer, this was the real deal. So, everyone was on edge and the delivery logistics were a bit messy,” recalls Kendra Linne. Delivery logistics cannot be messy particularly in an area on high alert at all times.

Kendra Linne jumped in with her usual energy, keen organization skills and ability to rally the strongest team to work with her. Before her superiors could voice their previous concerns, Kendra Linne had the whole operation on track.

“Before Kendra Linne got there it was all confusing. Our commanders didn’t know what was coming in or when. We needed the supplies to get to the teams that were deployed all over the country. People’s lives were depending on this, and it was a mess! Kendra Linne cleaned up that mess in no time and everyone knew it was her expertise that did it,” said a former enlisted soldier.

Shortly after Kendra Linne returned to the States, she was settling back into her usual routine. When she received the letter that she was being awarded the Air Medal, she was really, really proud. Kendra Linne thought about the stress that she had felt upon arriving in Afghanistan and how she turned things around in the logistics unit.

“It is always an amazing feeling to be recognized for the work you have done. I knew what I did and was proud. It is so fantastic to receive a medal like this because it means that everyone knew what I did. The recognition also gave me the confidence for each time I returned,” said Kendra Linne.