Gunnery Sgt. Edwin GonzalezDawkins, movement control chief for III Marine Expeditionary Force, was named as the recipient of the ‘Master Gunnery Sergeant Gerardo Acevedo Award’ as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 Marine Corps Motor Transport Awards Program.

The award was renamed from the “Motor Transport Operations Chief of the Year” in 2019 to honor Master Gunnery Sgt. Acevedo, a motor transport operations Marine who served for nearly 27 years before passing away on Feb. 3, 2018, while still on active duty as the III MEF motor transport chief. Acevedo enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1991, and was spoken of by others as a rare leader of men who could always be depended on. Those who receive this award, with his namesake, carry on the life and legacy of a Marine who led and impacted the entire MOS for the Marine Corps.

GonzalezDawkins said, “I met Master Gunnery Sgt. Acevedo once, but I was working as a roadmaster for a different unit. I remember he gave me a lot of good advice for what needs to be done to ensure safe operations in the Pacific. It’s an honor to be recognized for an award named after a great Marine like him.”

Award recipients are chosen by a board of senior Motor Transport officers and Staff NCOs from across the Marine Corps.

“I think [receiving this award] is a testament to hard work paid off,” said GonzalezDawkins. “Day-by-day you get caught up in the daily operations. Things like this make you realize that your hard work is being noticed by others, and it’s a testament to the Marines around you who make you who you are.”

GonzalezDawkins administers Marine Corps vehicle movements throughout the Indo-Pacific region. He has a hand in motor transport operations in Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Hawaii. The award citation noted GonzalezDawkins’ dedication to safe operations in the Pacific, supervising and coordinating over 3,500 movement requests. He also ensured the safe movement of over 200,000 tons of cargo and 325,000 personnel over 2.6 million miles driven. He played a vital role as the chief roadmaster, establishing a roadmaster program for the area of operations and achieving a 100 percent mission accomplishment rate even when faced with the complexities of supporting large volumes of passengers and cargo movements during a pandemic.

“I want to inspire other Marines to see what happens when you put forth your best effort and maximize your work ethic, and give them something to strive for next year,” said GonzalezDawkins.

For questions contact III Marine Expeditionary Force, Communication Strategy and Operations at iiimefmedia@usmc.mil.