9 CAMP ZAMA, Japan (May 21, 2021) – An employee’s offhand comment in the U.S. Army Garrison Japan housing warehouse set in motion a program that has since recognized the excellence of hundreds of workers here.
Col. Thomas Matelski, commander of USAG Japan, said he was touring garrison facilities soon after he took command in July 2019 when a worker told him, “This is the first time that I’ve seen one of the senior leaders in a while.”
The comment stuck in his mind, Matelski said, and he began thinking of ways he could get out and see the garrison’s team of more than 3,000 employees across USAG Japan’s 15 sites and facilities across Japan. He decided to recognize employees in person based on positive Interactive Customer Evaluation comments.