WIESBADEN, Germany -- It took signatures from the garrison commander all the way up the chain of command to the Secretary of the Army, two years' worth of paperwork and thousands of hours of manpower to recognize excellence at the highest level. With a flourish, it was done and there was no doubt: U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden is a "Superior Unit."
Adding to "Your Home in Germany's" designations as an Army Community of Excellence in 2011 and a Sustained Excellence Community in 2012, the garrison was awarded the esteemed Army Superior Unit Award during a ceremony March 18 at the Tony Bass Auditorium, with past and present garrison commanders present.
The Army Superior Unit Award was established by the Secretary of the Army to recognize units that display outstanding meritorious performance during a difficult and/or challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circumstances, said Michael Formica, Installation Management Command-Europe region director, who spoke at the ceremony. For USAG Wiesbaden, this meant excelling at providing the highest quality services to its Soldiers, Families and civilians while supporting numerous deployments and U.S. Army Europe's move from Heidelberg to Wiesbaden.
Wiesbaden was nominated for the Superior Unit Award by former U.S. Army Europe Commanding General Lt. Gen. David Campbell, who wrote in his endorsement letter that the garrison's previous awards "provide ample evidence thereof and underscores this garrison's status as the garrison of choice to live, work and raise families."
Some of the awards amassed by the garrison workforce include Secretary of the Army's Army Substance Abuse Program Coordinator of the Year; USAREUR Award for Best Installation Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers Program in the medium category; European Youth Development Excellence Award for Overall Programming; Best in Europe Child, Youth and School Services Evaluation; and numerous other team and individual awards.
"I am extremely proud of the garrison's many accomplishments during this time of transformation, and especially pleased that the sense of community remains high as you continue to deliver the Army's Soldier for Life promises to our constituency," said Formica. "My challenge to you is to continue to sustain practices and past achievements that led to this recognition, and to never be satisfied that we have accomplished all that we can in our mission to take care of Soldiers and their Families.
"Congratulations on a job well done," he concluded. "You are a world-class organization, and now recognized as such."
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