6591 Aviation Ordnance Chief

FOR OUTSTANDING MERITORIOUS SERVICE AS ORDNANCE CHIEF, MARINE LIGHT ATTACK HELICOPTER SQUADRON 167, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 29, 2D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING FROM AUGUST 2019 TO DECEMBER 2020. DURING THIS PERIOD, MASTER SERGEANT URZUA DIRECTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF NINE QUALITY ASSURANCE SAFETY OBSERVERS, NINE TEAM LEADERS, 14 COLLATERAL DUTY INSPECTORS, AND SIX COLLATERAL DUTY QUALITY ASSURANCE REPRESENTATIVES. THESE QUALIFICATIONS ALLOWED THE ORDNANCE DIVISION TO SUPPORT THE SQUADRON DURING TWO WEAPONS AND TACTICS INSTRUCTOR COURSES, TWO DEPLOYMENTS FOR TRAINING, TWO FORWARD ARMING AND REFUELING POINTS, AND A DEPLOYMENT WITH THE 26TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT. MASTER SERGEANT URZUA'S ATTENTION TO DETAIL HELPED IDENTIFY A SIGNIFICANT FLEET-WIDE DEFICIENCY IN THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT OF GAU-21 .50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS THAT PUSHED BARRELS PAST THEIR 10,000 ROUNDS INSPECTION. THE CONTROL MEASURES HE IMPLEMENTED ENSURED THE ACCURATE TRACKING OF ROUNDS AND PREVENTED ANY SIGNIFICANT INJURY TO MARINES OR DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. UNDER HIS SUPERVISION, THE ORDNANCE DIVISION PERFORMED 8,190 MAINTENANCE ACTIONS TOTALING 7,565 MAN-HOURS WHICH SUPPORTED OVER 3,300 H-1 FLIGHT HOURS AND OVER 2,000 SORTIES. AS MANAGER OF THE SQUADRON'S NON-COMBAT EXPENDITURE ALLOWANCE, MASTER SERGEANT URZUA WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ACCOUNTING FOR THE ACCURATE EXPENDITURE OF OVER 600,000 ITEMS OF CLASS V(A) MUNITIONS, VALUED AT OVER 7.2 MILLION DOLLARS. MASTER SERGEANT URZUA'S SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES CULMINATED HIS 26 YEARS OF HONORABLE AND DEDICATED MILITARY SERVICE. MASTER SERGEANT URZUA'S EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONALISM, PERSONAL INITIATIVE, AND TOTAL DEDICATION TO DUTY REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT ON HIM AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE