MHAFB named best installation in USAF

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Mountain Home Air Force Base became the Air Force's best installation by winning the 2007 Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced the selection in a message March 30 at the Pentagon.

"This award validates the hard work, commitment and pride of all of our Gunfighters who work together to make Mountain Home the best base in the Air Force," said Col. Tony Rock, 366th Fighter Wing commander.

"Words can't describe my pride in the team's continued commitment to excellence and high performance. I am simultaneously humbled and awed to be part of this team and lead our Gunfighters as we continue to prove we are the premier combat wing in the entire Air Force."

The Installation Excellence Award recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people operating and maintaining U.S. military installations around the world.

Each year, the Secretary of Defense selects five recipients for the presidential award, including one from each service branch, to recognize their exemplary support of the U.S. military's missions.

This year's other winners were the U.S. Army Garrison at Camp Zama, Japan; the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif.; Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, Ga.; and the Columbus Defense Supply Center, Ohio.

Mountain Home was one of roughly 85 active-duty Air Force installations originally vying for this year's award. The base went on to compete against Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., and Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, Fla., as the service's three finalists.

As part of the competition, a six-person inspection team visited here Feb. 4-6 to rate the base against the other finalists.

Initiatives shown to the inspectors included the base's $60 million Republic of Singapore Air Force facility beddown plan; a $1.3 million aircraft hangar high-expansion foam system to increased protection of the base's aircraft; construction of a $730,000 multi-use indoor running track without a military contract; and the youth center, which earned marks by other Air Force inspectors as "best seen to date."

"I can't think of an honor that brings more prestige and recognition to a base, and I can't think of more deserving personnel than the men and women of the Mountain Home Air Force Base community," said Col. Chris Chambliss, 366th FW Vice Commander.

Excellent installations enable better mission performance and enhance the quality of life for military men and women and their families, according to Colonel Rock. Each winning installation succeeded in providing excellent working, housing and recreational conditions.

Pentagon officials will hold the 2007 Commander in Chief's Annual Award ceremony May 4 at the Pentagon.

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