The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command's Fleet Maintenance Expansion team at Fort Leonard Wood was presented with two awards Nov. 13 -- the Chief of Staff, Army Award for Maintenance Excellence in the Active Army All Others category for fiscal year 2018 and the Chief of Ordnance Best of the Best Maintenance Award for calendar year 2018.
The awards were presented by Maj. Gen. Daniel Mitchell, TACOM commander.
The AAME program is conducted each year to recognize Army units or activities that have demonstrated excellence in maintenance operations.
Each unit is evaluated on their effectiveness ensuring that Soldier competency is maintained. Assessments of each unit in the categories of attitude and effective leadership are rated with a benchmark based on those of past winners, and the tenets of exceptional maintenance processes that were exhibited are validated and ranked.
"This organization is always seeking ways to perform our field-level maintenance mission better, whether that be through innovation or through creating efficiencies," said Jeriel Music, TACOM FMX director. "For a maintenance organization, nothing is more rewarding or prestigious than being recognized for those accomplishments, not only by the Army Chief of Staff for winning an AAME, but ultimately being recognized by the Army Chief of Ordnance for having the Best of the Best maintenance organization in the entire Army."
Fort Leonard Wood's FMX team is tasked with maximizing Training and Doctrine Command training-based equipment readiness for the Engineer, Military Police and Chemical schools, as well as the 58th Transportation Battalion, by providing responsive, reliable and uninterrupted field-level maintenance support.
"By providing dedicated field-level maintenance support to the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, we ensure that the Training and Doctrine Command commanders can remain focused on their primary mission -- training -- while ensuring that they have the necessary equipment when and where they need it," said Melony Cardoza, Fort Leonard Wood FMX director.
In addition to the AAME and Best of the Best awards, Mitchell also presented Civilian Service Commendation Medals to FMX command team members Cardoza, William Riker, Michael Parsons and Allen Utley, as well as Civilian Service Achievement Medals to Ray Lasher, Britney Ogle, James Richards, Robert Keinle Jr. and Sean Morgan for their roles in the submission process for the Army-level awards.
"The competition for both of these awards is throughout the Army and takes grit and dedication by the command team and all employees in the organization," Cardoza said.
FMX teams provide field-level maintenance in support of 75 critical training fleets and more than 122,000 pieces of Training and Doctrine Command training equipment in Warren, Michigan, and at four main sites located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Fort Lee, Virginia, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Fort Benning, Georgia. The equipment the teams maintain supports 335 training programs of instruction for more than 266,000 Soldiers participating in Army institutional training.
The FMX teams are part of the Field Support Operations Directorate within TACOM's Integrated Logistics Support Center. TACOM is responsible for the synchronization, integration and delivery of Soldier and ground systems materiel readiness solutions to ensure the Army is the world's most lethal and versatile fighting force.