Installations Honored For Excellence

An installation from each service branch and the Defense Logistics Agency received the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence in a Pentagon ceremony. Receiving the award were:

• Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Hinesville, Ga.;
• Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Yuma, Ariz.;
• Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, Wash.;
• Ramstein Air Base, Germany; and
• Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna, New Cumberland, Penn.

The award winners are the Defense Department's leaders in creative management and stewardship of installations, and their actions maximize DoD's ability to have forces available anywhere, anytime, Kenneth J. Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said at the ceremony.

"Today's honorees have demonstrated their commitment to a strong America by using their unique talents to improve the business of military installations," Krieg said. "Our military is founded upon good people, and we have many of those people represented here today."

Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield is a major hub for Army force projection and is home of the 3rd Infantry Division. The installation has provided training technologies and resources to enhance readiness and increase combat effectiveness of its units, according to the award citation. The installation has also maintained a world-class platform to support mobilization, deployment and redeployment of forces while offering the highest possible quality of life for soldiers, families, retirees and civilian employees, the citation read.

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is the busiest airfield within the Department of the Navy. It is the only joint-use airfield in the Marine Corps, providing air traffic control, security and aircraft rescue, and firefighting services as well as maintaining runways and taxiways for itself and the Yuma International Airport.

The air station was recognized for its superior performance by doing the best job within assigned resources and accomplishing its mission while concentrating on innovative management practices, according to the award citation. The air station has been recognized many times for energy conservation, environmental management, public affairs, family support, and quality of life initiatives, the citation read.

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was recognized for creating a "one stop resource" and community planning liaison office for quality of life and customer service, according to the award citation. The installation also has an outstanding wetland restoration program and provides services to the local communities through outreach and charity work, the citation stated.

Ramstein Air Base is the largest American community outside the continental U.S. The base distinguished itself by significantly improving the productivity, mission processes, environment and quality of life on the installation while executing its wartime and humanitarian missions throughout the world, according to the award citation. Ramstein Air Base has deployed almost 100,000 U.S. and coalition servicemembers on more than 2,100 combat, security, and humanitarian missions on three continents.

Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna consolidates material from U.S. facilities into containers and pallets for overseas shipments. The depot supports the fielding of new weapons systems for the Army through the assembly of repair parts, tools and technical manuals and manages the Navy's publication and forms mission.

The depot's environmental program has been highly lauded, and its safety program is leading all defense distribution centers with its recently introduced Voluntary Protection Program, according to the award citation. The depot also has an active child and youth center, and completes the child abuse and risk assessment tool on a yearly basis, exceeding the standard requirement.

Installation management is more important now than it ever has been, as DoD transforms to better meet the threats of the 21st century, Krieg said. Installations are crucial to this transformation, because they provide a place to train, maintain, equip and house forces, he said. Today's honorees are at the front of the military's transformation, and have mastered the complex business of installation management, he said.

"Their exemplary efforts to meet the challenges in a time of war are indeed commendable," he said.

The Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence was established in 1985 by President Reagan. Each service and the Defense Logistics Agency identify an installation where the command has done the best job sustaining the mission, increasing productivity of the workforce, and enhance quality of life for all who live and work at the installation.