HOHENFELS, Germany -- Blackfoot Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, earned top honors in the inaugural U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria-Hohenfels Best Barracks of the Quarter award, Oct. 14.
In addition to having a sign proclaiming their achievement placed in front of Bldg. 854, each member of the group received free passes to the Hohenfels Bowling Center from Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
"This is the busiest unit I've ever been part of in 16 years, and the fact that these men can be out there all day supporting the rotations, their EIB (Expert Infantry Badge) and everything else, and still come back here and maintain this level of discipline and responsibility -- they set the standard that all other units should strive to achieve," said 1st Sgt. Ryan Longacre.
The primary goal of the Strong Europe, Barracks Inspection and Recognition Program (BIRP) is to improve the quality of life for Soldiers who live in the barracks and to foster the involvement of individual tenants and unit leadership.
Recognition involves cleanliness inside and out, security, information availability, and a host of other measures, the quality of which is ensured through announced and unannounced inspections. Eight units competed across Hohenfels with a total of 22 buildings inspected.
The program seeks to promote within the barracks communities a high degree of individual and leader responsibility, self-discipline and a sense of home ownership, a spirit of camaraderie and esprit-de-corps, and the desire to exceed established care and maintenance standards.
The competition is open to all Soldiers assigned to units with the U.S. Army Europe and Installation Management Command Europe areas of responsibility, as well as other service members who are residing in Army-controlled, on-post, unaccompanied-Soldier housing.
But Blackfoot Company won't go down easy.
"Our plan is to keep that sign," said Longacre.
Social Sharing