Award for Quality Improvement

The Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, which offers an array of complex engineering, design, construction and project management services, has saved its customers $107 million in in-house operating costs since 1995. The significant savings of this organization, which receives no direct appropriation from Congress and must compete for paying customers, was accomplished following the adoption of the President's Quality Award criteria as a framework for quality improvement. The focus on quality also resulted in a 36 percent cut in overhead rates and a 49 percent jump in productivity. Other major activities of the Huntsville center include the design and construction of chemical demilitarization facilities in the United States and Russia, the clearance of unexploded ordnance at current and former federal properties, and serving as the Deputy Worldwide Program Manager for the National Missile Defense Program.

If the "human energy" burned by the multi-skilled employees at the Navy Public Works Center in San Diego could be quantified, it would be measured in tons of kilo-watt hours. This is, after all, an operation that performs award-winning environmental analysis of contaminated soil on military installations using a refined process that saves its clients nearly $4 million annually. The Public Works Center also provides services in engineering and acquisition, facilities maintenance, utilities and transportation, all with an eye toward maintaining military readiness and assuring quality-of-life standards for the Navy's war fighters. The Navy Public Works Center is commanded by a Civil Engineer Corps Captain, and includes a contingent of military CEC officers, contractors and more than 1,600 civilian employees who provide services in nearly 100 trade occupations to Navy clients.

On the other hand, while the employee-produced kilo-watts are burning at record levels, the Navy Public Works Center has partnered with the Navy's Regional Energy Production Office to drastically cut electricity needs in energy-strapped California. The consumption cut is the result of improved conservation measures and strict adherence to common-sense practices of monitoring energy use during peak demand. Though the Navy uses just 3 percent of San Diego's energy capacity during peak hours, consumption has been reduced by an amazing 10 percent thanks to improved processes. In recognition of this feat, the Navy Public Works Center, San Diego received the "2001 Energy Leadership Award for Energy Conservation."

Merit Award

There are two faces to the 62d Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base. The first is an airlift juggernaut that, in partnership with the 446th Airlift Wing (Reserve Associate), maintains and operates nearly 25 percent of America's strategic airlift aircraft. Team McChord crews and aircraft run humanitarian airdrops of food and medical supplies throughout the world.

The second face of the 62d Airlift Wing is that of good neighbor and community activist. In addition to McChord's responsibility for maintaining and operating a fleet of aircraft, including 18 Lockheed C-141B "Starlifters" and 26 Boeing C-17A "Globemaster IIIs," input provided by the base's Continuous Improvement Teams on aircraft washing procedures has significantly reduced hazardous pollutant runoff, cut water consumption by a whopping 85 percent, and saved $300,000 in hazardous waste removal costs. McChord also operates a "Pilot for the Day Program" for children in the Seattle and Tacoma areas who are undergoing treatment for life threatening illnesses. The program anoints the youngsters as honorary members of the 62d Airlift Wing and presents them with keepsakes, such as flight suits and patches.

Program Finalists

Home to the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield houses, trains and mobilizes active Army units, including the 3d Infantry Division, and reserve component units to execute wide-ranging operational missions. While noted for successful troop deployments to southwest Asia, Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia and Casava, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield also has been recognized for providing some of the best warfighting exercise support in the world. To prepare soldiers destined for deployment to the Balkan States and the strategic calculations they would be called on to make, Fort Stewart, which houses the largest, army training area east of the Mississippi, designed and constructed a training facility that simulates the rugged terrain of Bosnia and Kosovo. And in the area of troop deployment, this Army Command tweaked the process so soldiers can maximize the time they have with their families prior to actual departure. Nearly 25,000 soldiers were deployed from Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield in 2000.

The Japanese island of Okinawa is home to the 10th Area Support Group (ASG). The island's strategic location in the East China Sea supports the 10th ASG in the dual role it plays for America. Militarily, the 10th Area Support Group serves as an ideal staging area for operations throughout the Asian/Pacific theater. To effectively execute its strategic missions, this Army Command works closely with other U.S. military forces to improve combat service support capabilities. The 10th ASG supports the only Army combat forces in Japan. In addition, it plays a crucial role in maintaining exceptional bilateral relations with Japan, Pacific-region governments and Okinawa's neighbors. In its "well-being" role, the 10th Area Support Group tends to the housing of single soldiers, as well as the social and recreational needs of America's Okinawa-based military personnel and their families. With a focus on customer service, the 10th ASG aims to provide world-class facilities, services and programs for the total Army family and sustain a command climate that recognizes and rewards improvement and innovation.

Each time an airplane departs a runway, its crew and passengers can be assured the employees of the Federal Aviation Administration Logistics Center are working to make the air traffic system the safest and best in the world. The Logistics Center provides 24 hours-a-day supply, technical and services support for the safe operation of the air traffic system. Located in Oklahoma City, the center employs a multi-talented, diverse work force that provides support and services to more than 46,000 air traffic control systems throughout the world. Whether sending equipment and supplies to restore air traffic systems in Seattle after an earthquake; personnel and equipment to repair navigation facilities destroyed by a devastating hurricane on Guam; or restoring a toppled radar antenna at New York's JFK airport, Logistics Center employees are working around the clock to keep air travel safe.

The approximately 600 employees of the Logistics Center are committed to streamlining work processes. On time delivery rates for products and services are exceeding 95 percent. The center is transforming itself from top to bottom, with the goal of offering responsive, high-quality customer service. This transformation will ensure the safest air traffic system in the world, and a system that saves money for the American taxpayer by providing the best value in competitive products and services to all Logistics Center customers.

Older than the United States Navy itself, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard has been in the business of repairing naval vessels since 1767. This shipyard in the mid-Atlantic region is the repair hub for approximately one-third of the U.S. Navy fleet and can perform any technical fabrication, manufacturing or engineering work required. The shipyard's work force, comprised of 6,800 engineers, technicians, craftsmen and support personnel, is strengthened by 233 years of quality performance by the skilled workers who came before them, and by the High Performance Leadership System initiated in 1998. The leadership system is responsible, in part, for Norfolk exceeding financial performance expectations by $20 million over the past four years. In addition, Norfolk continues to demonstrate its unique ability to respond very quickly to unexpected, very large work packages and emergency repair work, and to deliver its products under budget. After more than two centuries in business, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard's simple, yet eloquent commitment to excellence is this: "Any Ship, Any Time, Any Where."

Water, a priceless natural resource, flows from small Appalachian mountain streams into rivers, and regional rivers flow into the mid-section of the Ohio River. This water comes from an area covering 45,000 square miles and five states. Within this area, average Americans benefit from the engineering feats and environmental wonders of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Huntington District. Under the watchful eyes of the district's 968 employees, dams, levees and flood walls turn back flood waters that endanger people and property. Regional electrical power plants on the Ohio and major tributaries are fueled by low-sulfur coal that moves by river barge through Corps of Engineers locks and dams. Hydropower plants at Corps flood-control dams and navigation dams add to electricity production. Water from Corps lakes is a reliable source of water supply for millions of residents. Corps facilities attract 30 million visitors who fish, boat, swim and brave world-class whitewater streams. To navigate the rapids of its ever-changing environment, the Huntington District incorporated Total Army Quality principles and provisions of the President's Quality Award Performance Excellence Criteria into its business plan. The effort to incorporate quality management into operations is paying dividends, as overhead rates as a percentage of operating costs are being lowered, and costs to the District's customers are being reduced.