673d Air Base Wing earns Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  During the course of activating the wing and consolidating Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson into Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, various units of 673d Air Base Wing earned high honors.

Most recently, the 673d ABW was selected as a recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service during the period of Oct. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2011.

During this period, the 673d ABW and JBER achieved full operational capability as one of 12 joint bases in the Department of Defense. The wing executed more than 3,000 action items realigning Air Force and Army installation support functions, and transferring more than 1,100 Department of the Army civilian employees into the Department of the Air Force.

Additionally, the wing facilitated the move of the 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard, and 1,400 Guard Airmen at JBER. This successfully completed congressionally mandated Base Realignment and Closure Commission directives.

The wing also participated in joint recovery operations for two fatal aircraft mishaps, including operations in extreme arctic conditions, and deployed 60 Airmen and more than 13 tons of equipment to Japan in support of Operation Tomodachi - Japanese for "friendship" - following a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Honored with various awards throughout this period, the wing received an "outstanding" rating during the Combat Air Forces Logistics Compliance Assessment Program inspection.

The wing also successfully deployed an Army Airborne Brigade Combat Team and more than 3,000 paratroopers, 660 combat vehicles and two million pounds of combat support equipment.

"We are truly honored and humbled by this award which validates the hard work, dedication and commitment of the thousands of Airmen, Soldiers, civilians and contractors in the 673d Air Base Wing who build JBER, alongside our mission partners," said Col. Robert Evans, JBER and 673d ABW commander. "We've come a long way since our activation, building a foundation of trust and teamwork in the process.
Airmen assigned to the wing during this award period are authorized to wear the AFOUA ribbon or add one additional cluster to their ribbon.

The wing also earned the highest rating on a North American Aerospace Defense Command Region Alert Force Evaluation. The Logistics Readiness Group earned an "outstanding" on the Logistics Compliance Assessment Program. The 673d Civil Engineer Squadron won for the Best Fire Department in the Air Force for 2010 and 2011 with an average of 1,800 responses annually.

Among the more recent awards include an "outstanding" from the Health Services Inspection by the Air Force Inspector General. The IG's office acts as an ombudsman for investigating allegations of favoritism, sexual harassment and reprisal. The office also inspects units for compliance and efficiency.

The 673d Medical Group earned a score of 95 out of 100 during the inspection, the highest score for a hospital in five years at the time.

"It's due to the enthusiasm of the staff to deliver excellent patient care," said Air Force Col. Thomas Harrell, 673d Medical Group commander and a native of Land O' Lakes, Fla. "It's very satisfying to have the score reflect the level of effort that I know our staff puts into delivering health care; it's a reflection of the value we place on people."

Additional recent honors went to the 673d Civil Engineer Squadron, earning the Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence in 2010. They won the 673d Air Base Wing, Special Act/Service Award - F22 Crash Restoration in 2011.
More recently, they won the Air Force Gen. Thomas D. White Environmental Restoration Individual/Team Award and runner-up for the Pacific Air Forces Gen. Thomas D. White Environmental Restoration Installation Award.

"The team worked really hard, and it was important to understand what the mission was and how we're an integral part of the bigger wing mission," said Gary Fink, chief of the restoration section. "A lot of times Environmental is thought of as throwing up road blocks and that's not how we approach things. We look for solutions."

The Environmental Restoration Award rewards excellence for the development, management and transferability of environmental programs that increase environmental quality, enhance the mission, and help make the military sustainable.

The award honors individuals, teams and installations for their outstanding achievements to conserve and sustain the natural and cultural resources entrusted to the Department of Defense.

"I'm most proud with the merger of the prior Army restoration into the Air Force restoration program," Air Force Col. Russell Hula, 673d Civil Engineer Group commander and native of Fremont, Neb. "We've got a lot of great teams at this joint base now, but I've always felt that our environmental program, particularly our restoration program, was one of the major points."

"This recognition is far more than an Air Force award, it recognizes a joint team fully committed to our collective mission and all those we support and enable," Evans continued. "I am proud to serve with this incredible team. They truly are arctic tough, mission ready and family strong."