LBS Receives ISOA Global Impact Award for Support of Operation Allies Refuge

The International Stability Operations Association (ISOA) recently named LBS the winner of a 2023 Global Impact Award for its efforts in supporting the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the resulting evacuation and humanitarian operations. ISOA presented LBS with the Vanguard Award (Tier Two) at the annual Global Impact Awards Gala held at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia.

In the summer of 2021, LBS was heavily involved in Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) in Afghanistan, where it had been providing Aerial Port Operations and Air Terminal and Ground Handling Services (ATGHS) in support of the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program V (AFCAP V) since April 2021. LBS’ Aerial Port Operations served as a lifeline toward the success of evacuating and closing Bagram Airfield—the primary arrival and departure location for military passengers and cargo in Afghanistan—and supported the largest U.S. military non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) out of the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport.

LBS was the last contractor operating at Bagram Airfield as it worked to remove U.S.-owned assets that had been present in Afghanistan for decades and provided Aerial Port Operations services necessary to keep evacuation activities moving around the clock. It was also the last civilian contractor at the New Kabul Compound (NKC), the main hub for the Tactical Operation Center (TOC), where LBS provided base power plant operations until Coalition Forces handed the NKC to the Afghan National Army.

LBS’ Afghanistan mission became a refugee effort in July 2021 when the NEO began at Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. During this time, LBS helped transport more than 15,000 American citizens, civilian allies, and refugees who were removed in the NEO.

LBS personnel successfully orchestrated an unprecedented movement of evacuees on commercial and military aircraft to the Kuwait International Airport and NAVSTA Rota, Spain, where LBS team members stood ready to support and care for incoming refugees. Not only did LBS help develop temporary waiting accommodations in Kuwait and a temporary city in Rota where people could sleep and be processed, many team members paid out of their own pocket for water, food, and other life-supporting supplies and services for arriving passengers. LBS’s operation at Cargo City in Kuwait resulted in 113 missions with 10,373 evacuees from Afghanistan and 36.1 tons of humanitarian cargo, while LBS staff at NAVSTA Rota managed processing for all passengers destined to the Continental United States without a single delay or a missing refugee.

“LBS is humbled to be included in ISOA’s Global Impact Awards. It was a privilege to do our part in supporting Operation Allies Refuge, which was a massive undertaking by our military, allies, and partner organizations,” said LBS President & CEO Jiri Maly. “Our teams faced extremely challenging circumstances as we provided critical services to keep evacuation activities on-mission. Most importantly, our team members on-site in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Spain never lost sight of our work’s human element. Their passion for meeting the mission and going above and beyond demonstrated our values and what we do as a government contractor.”

The 2023 Global Impact Award in the Vanguard category is among several recognitions LBS has received for its work with the OAR. Since the summer of 2021, LBS has been honored by the U.S. military on three occasions along with an additional recognition from TSA leadership in Miami, Florida for its assistance in transporting over 2,100 evacuees from Afghanistan to the U.S.

The Aerial Port Operations LBS provided during the OAR demonstrated its expertise and agility in supporting real-time mission-critical contingency operations. Today, LBS operates on 21 airfields around the world supporting U.S. warfighters and their missions.

About LBS

LBS specializes in operation and maintenance services at large, mission-essential military installations, and transportation facilities worldwide. As a trusted partner to federal government agencies, we provide expertise in aerial port operations, contingency logistics and ground support services, turnkey power and fueling solutions, as well as heavy vehicle maintenance for defense and security Customers. We also provide industry-leading transportation asset maintenance services to state and local Customers across the United States. It’s our mission and an honor to help clients solve their most complex challenges.