Ann Bauer, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation customer service training instructor for the National Capital Region, gives remarks during the FMWR employee and customer covenant signing ceremony at Spates Community Club on Joint Base Myer Hende...

Attendees of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation employee and customer covenant signing ceremony listen to remarks at Spates Community Club on Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall March 14, 2014. The covenant; signed by Col. Fern O. Sumpter, JBM-...

Col. Fern O. Sumpter, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall commander, right, and Denise James, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation director, sign the FMWR employee covenant during a ceremony at Spates Community Club on Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall ...

The Family and Morale, welfare and recreation employee and customer covenant, signed by Col. Fern O. Sumpter, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall commander, and Denise James, FMWR director, sits on a table during the signing ceremony at Spates Community C...

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall leaders and Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation employees gathered March 14 in the Spates Community Club to sign the employee covenant, reaffirming the joint base's commitment to its employees and customers.

The covenant represents a promise from joint base and its leadership to both employees and customers in an ongoing effort to provide the best service possible to people on base, said Ann Bauer, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation customer service training instructor for the National Capital Region.

"It is a promise to our customers that every single experience that they have with an MWR staff member will be memorable," Bauer said. "It is also a commitment from leadership to staff that we will provide them the tools and the resources that they need to grow in their careers. Lastly, it's an expectation from leadership to our staff on how we will treat our customers."

Before the ceremonial signing, FMWR representatives also awarded honors to exemplary employees in an Olympic-themed celebration. Gold, silver and bronze "medals" were presented to employees in categories such as "Best Phone Voice," "Best Overall Attitude," and "Best Team Player."

JBM-HH Commander Col. Fern O. Sumpter and Command Sgt. Maj. Earlene Y. Lavender used the event to thank FMWR employees for the hard work they do every day to keep the joint base firing on all cylinders.

"I am charging my team - your leaders - with ensuring that you are equipped, trained, led and mentored to be experts and exceptional deliverers of excellent programs and services," Sumpter said. "I also expect the leaders to listen to you and have your and the organization's best interests at heart."

Sumpter expressed gratitude to all FMWR employees, some of whom were present for the ceremony, but many more who were still out and about performing their daily duties.

"I appreciate what you do for the Army," Sumpter said. "We all appreciate what you do for the Army - servicemembers, their families, retirees - every single day. You are the faces of the joint base. I hear nothing but great things about our MWR team."