DOW Announces Winners of the 2026 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence

June 4, 2026 |

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the 2026 recipients of the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence.

The Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations. The six recipients of this highly competitive presidential award were selected for their exemplary support of Department of War missions.

Recipients of the 2026 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence are:

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Bliss, Texas
Installation Commander: Major General Curtis D. Taylor, U.S. Army
Garrison Commander: Colonel Brendan R. Gallagher, U.S. Army

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona
Commanding Officer: Colonel Jared K. Stone, U.S. Marine Corps

Naval Station Mayport, Florida
Commanding Officer: Rear Admiral John Hewitt, U.S. Navy

Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
Commanding Officer: Colonel Jun S. Oh, U.S. Air Force

Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado
Commanding Officer: Colonel Kenneth F. L. Klock, U.S. Space Force

Defense Supply Center Columbus, Ohio
Commanding Officer: Rear Admiral Julie M. Treanor, U.S. Navy

Installations compete on how well they achieve the Department's objectives in several areas of installation management, including mission support, quality of life and unit morale, real property management, safety, health and security, communications, and public relations.

Excellent installations enable better mission performance and enhance the working and living conditions for military men and women, DoW civilians, and their families. Each of the winning installations succeeded at being the best in performing installation management within their military service and the Defense Logistics Agency. Each winning installation will receive a commemorative trophy, Installation Excellence flag, and a congratulatory letter from the President.

Department of War Approves $90 Million in Grants Under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program

Sept. 24, 2025 |

Today, the Department of War awarded ten Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) grants from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, totaling approximately $90 million. DCIP is a competitive program for states, territories, and communities to undertake infrastructure enhancements to support military value, the training of cadets at independent "covered educational institutions," installation resiliency, and/or family quality of life that benefits their local installations.

On August 15, the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment instructed the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to invite grant applications for ten projects based on a competitive ranking of all proposed projects in response to a May 27, 2025, DCIP Notice of Funding Opportunity.  

These awards derive from Fiscal Year 2025 appropriated funding and leverage an additional $59.9 million in non-federal funding, for a total investment of approximately $150 million. 

"Enhanced partnerships with state and local communities are critical to the success of our installations and their missions," said Mr. Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment. "The Defense Community Infrastructure Program continues to play a vital role in building and maintain these successful partnerships. This year's program continues to build on the Department's efforts to invest in critical infrastructure with our defense communities to enable the readiness and lethality of our installations." 

The Fiscal Year 2025 grant awards are as follows: 

$14 million federal grant to North Slope Borough, Alaska, to undertake a $23.5 million project to install high-speed fiber optic telecommunications infrastructure to Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

$2.6 million federal grant to Golden Valley Electric Association, Inc., Alaska, to undertake a $2.7 million project to install critical electrical infrastructure to the Murphy Dome Long Range Radar Site. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

$13 million federal grant to Golden Valley Electric Association, Inc., Alaska, to undertake a $13.3 million project to construct a new switching substation, upgrade an existing substation, and improve communication systems. This project supports the readiness and lethality of Eielson Air Force Base. 

$7 million federal grant to North County Fire Protection District, California, to undertake a $13.9 million project to construct a fire station that will enhance emergency response resources and mitigate impacts of wildfires on training and mission readiness. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Marine Corps Camp Pendleton and Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Detachment Fallbrook.

$5.7 million federal grant to the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, Connecticut, to undertake a project to replace 11,700 linear feet of a water main to enhance water supply infrastructure. This project supports the readiness and lethality of Submarine Base New London.

$4.8 million federal grant to the Port Authority of Guam to undertake a $6.9 million project to execute near-term structural and safety upgrades to stabilize the pier, extend its operational life, and maintain critical functionality. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Joint Region Marianas.

$10 million federal grant to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma, to undertake a $35.8 million project to reconstruct a segment of US-69 and replace the Peaceable Creek bridge. The project supports the readiness and lethality of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

$11.9 million federal grant to the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, to undertake a $29.9 million project to construct a waterline. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.

$20 million to Kitsap County Public Works, Washington, to undertake a $40 million project to construct a 1.4 million gallon per day anaerobic digester, yard piping, and a digester control building. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Naval Base Kitsap.

$300,000 federal grant to the City of Everett, Washington, to undertake a $800,000 project to construct a police boathouse facility. The project supports the readiness and lethality of Naval Station Everett.

Groundbreaking on these projects may commence once all environmental requirements have been met.  

The Defense Community Infrastructure Program is authorized under 10 U.S. Code § 2391.

Team 5-0 members support children at Good Grief Camp

by 2nd Lt. Darren Domingo
50th Space Wing Public Affairs

10/28/2015 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  -- Service members from Schriever Air Force Base and other military installations around Colorado Springs volunteered as mentors at a National Suicide Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp Oct. 10 - 11, 2015, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The camp was hosted and sponsored by Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a not-for-profit organization that has held grief counseling camps across the nation for more than a decade.

According to their website, http://www.taps.org/about, "The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors offers compassionate care to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in our Armed Forces. Since 1994, TAPS has provided comfort and hope 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones."

TAPS is a national organization that was started to help family members in the grieving process. Bonnie Carroll, TAPS president and founder, was the wife of Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, who passed away in an Army C-12 plane crash in 1992. Following his death, she was unsatisfied with the resources available to assist those in her same situation.

TAPS became a way for families to get together for counseling and support through the loss of a loved one in the armed forces. Master Sgt. Steven Grant, 50th Space Communications Squadron section chief of network infrastructure, attended the event for the second year in a row.

Grant explained why supporting children at the Good Grief Camps is so important.

"The kids experience not only a loss in their family, but they also experience a kind of identity crisis, because they're no longer military affiliated," explained Grant. "What TAPS gives them is an opportunity to get with other kids in their same position, open up to some of the grieving process and by tying in military members, it kind of gives them [back] that connection to their loved one."

At the beginning of the weekend-long camp, parents and adult family members dropped off their children with the mentors before heading to their own peer counseling activities. The early portions of the activities were in a very relaxed social environment. Kids in attendance were not forced to interact, but instead given freedom to talk/play with their mentors as they felt comfortable.

"We went over each child's information sheet prior to the actual event and mine said she was very shy," said Staff Sgt. Taylor Koch, 50th Space Wing administrative assistant and Good Grief Camp mentor. "I was thankful to know what to anticipate. She took about 10 minutes to warm up but once she did she didn't leave my side."

Throughout the weekend, kids attending the camp participated in activities and games ranging from sports, to crafts, to music.

"They actually had an excellent musician come in, we made a drum and he talked about the language of music," said Grant. "The kids were able to beat the drum and have an outlet to express their frustrations and their feelings through music so it was an excellent program."

Koch explained that volunteering for the program is not for everyone, but is a rewarding opportunity.

"We heard four and five-year-olds talk about some pretty heavy things," she said. "But just knowing you've made an impact like we did is so overwhelming and rewarding. I would highly recommend anyone who is interested to get involved."

Grant explained there was a diverse group of youth in attendance, some who were comfortable and some who needed more time to open up. For most of the children however, he said he could definitely see a positive change in their demeanors by the end of the camp.

The impact of volunteering is even more powerful as a parent, Grant shared.

"Being a father of three, it really got me to think about what would happen if I were to pass away, you know, I would want someone to be there for my children," said Grant.