Offutt earns ACC Installation Excellence Award

by Ryan Hansen
55th Wing Public Affairs

10/10/2012 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Offutt Air Force Base was recently named Air Combat Command's 2013 Commander in Chief's Annual Installation Excellence Award winner.

By claiming this award, Offutt receives $100,000 for quality-of-life improvements throughout the installation.

"It's quite an honor to be selected by ACC as their winner," said. Col. John Rauch, 55th Wing commander. "This is certainly a Team Offutt award, and I'd like to thank everyone for their dedication to the mission and for helping us earn this prestigious honor."

Offutt was selected over 15 other major bases within ACC and it is the first time the base has won the award since 2003.

"This award is a direct reflection on all of Team Offutt," said Chief Master Sgt. William Thomaston, 55th Wing command chief. "When you look at all of our accomplishments over the past year it's easy to see why we were selected as the best in ACC."

The award recognizes the outstanding efforts of the people who operate and maintain Department of Defense installations and who have done the best with their resources to support the mission. It also includes tenant units, which are attached to the base, to compete together as part of the host installation.

Offutt's award package included more than 150 accomplishments from every unit within the wing. Some of the highlights were:

· Simultaneously supported eight combatant commands with seven aircraft variants delivering premier intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance; command and control; and electronic attack to national leaders

· Ingenuity-minded maintenance operations that coordinated 102 ideas, saving 2,500 man hours and $103,000

· Developed new collect tactics, techniques and procedures, and integrated the RC-135U with Global Hawk mission, including ISR cross-cue capabilities

· First in ACC to support tenants Defense Travel System requests adding U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Weather Agency and 34 others doubling work, but sustaining timing standard

· Coordinated $1.2 billion USSTRATCOM military construction readying the 21st Century nuclear C2 facility

· Validated wing transfer plan to old USSTRATCOM building merging 19 units and freeing 2 million square foot of dated, costly buildings for demolition

· Hosted CORONA conference providing adept support to senior leaders and was praised by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force as a "home run"

As the ACC winner Offutt now competes at the Air Force level. The winner will be announced in March and receives $1 million for additional quality-of-life improvements at their base as well as a trophy, flag and letter signed by the president.