63rd Regional Support Command Wins Secretary of the Army Award

By Jonelle KimbroughSeptember 2, 2016

63rd Regional Support Command Receives Secretary of the Army Award
The Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and the Environment, presents the Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management Award to Colonel Stewart Fearon, Director of Public Works for the 63rd Regi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army Reserve's 63rd Regional Support Command (RSC) recently received the Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management Award for Energy Efficiency and Energy Management, Small Group.

The award celebrated a variety of innovative sustainability initiatives that saved energy, water and fiscal resources throughout the 63rd RSC, which includes the states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In fiscal year 2015, conservation efforts saved 31.3 million British Thermal Units of energy, and they reduced water consumption by 38 percent when compared to fiscal year 2014. As a result, the 63rd RSC saved $583,503.

To decrease energy use, the 63rd RSC leveraged meters, renewable technologies and energy efficiency improvements. The Army Meter Data Management System monitored energy use at 74 facilities across the region. Solar arrays at March Armed Forces Reserve Center in California and Barnes Hall Army Reserve Center in Arizona produced 293,000 kilowatt hours of power in fiscal year 2015, and an award-winning lighting project in parking areas at Camp Pike, Arkansas reduced energy consumption by 85 percent at that site.

The 63rd RSC implemented various water conservation efforts as well. Improvements to plumbing increased water efficiency at multiple facilities, and drought tolerant, native plant landscapes -- known as xeriscapes -- reduced the need for irrigation at multiple Army Reserve sites in southern California.

Furthermore, the 63rd RSC Energy Team continued to educate its communities about conservation and its commitment to sustainability.

The Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management Awards were presented at a special ceremony at the Federal government's annual Energy Exchange in Providence, Rhode Island on August 11. Colonel Stewart Fearon, the 63rd RSC's Director of Public Works, attended the event with Deputy Director of Public Works Mr. Keith Puschinsky; Operations Division Chief Mr. Mark Cutler; Energy Managers Mr. Rickey Johns, Mr. Hays Kinslow and Mr. Gerry McClelland; and Resource Efficiency Managers Mr. Brad Brown and Mr. Varun Sood.

The Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and the Environment, hosted the ceremony and offered her gratitude to the honorees. "The Army is setting the standard for resource conservation -- not only in the Department of Defense but in the Federal government," Hammack said.

Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham, Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, also addressed the attendants and encouraged them to further their efforts. "What do you do when you achieve one goal?" she asked. "You set a new one."

Johns said that the 63rd RSC's accomplishments are truly the results of a dedicated team, and Command support has driven their success. "We've all heard that 'it takes a village to raise a child,'" he commented. "It takes a Command to build a viable energy program. At the 63rd RSC, we have a Command that supports our energy program." He pointed to the strong presence of leadership at the ceremony as evidence of that support.

Johns and Kinslow also praised the Army Reserve Installation Management Directorate (ARIMD) for its steadfast encouragement of their program and its assistance with the award nomination. "With the help of the ARIMD Energy Team, the hard work of the 63rd RSC Energy Team and the great support of the 63rd RSC's public works staff was recognized today," Kinslow remarked.

"I feel extremely fortunate to be a part of this team," Johns added. "I look forward to many more years with all of the Army Reserve family."

To learn more about the 63rd RSC's sustainability efforts, visit usar.army.mil/Commands/Support/63rd-RSC/ or usarsustainability.com.

Related Links:

The Blog of Army Reserve Sustainability Programs