Five Army installations honored for accomplishments

Five installations, one from each directorate of the Installation Management Command, have been named IMCOM Directorates (ID) Best Garrison 2019.

The winners from each directorate are: USAG Drum from ID-Readiness, USAG Hawaii from ID-Pacific, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz from ID-Europe, USAG Huachuca from ID-Training and USAG Rock Island Arsenal from ID-Sustainment.

The scoring was based on criteria in 13 categories: mission support, energy, quality of life, unit morale, environment, real property asset management, real property stewardship, competitive activities, communication, safety and health, security, public relations and other awards won.  Garrisons awards were based on fiscal year 2019 performance.

USAG Fort Drum, New York, notable accomplishments during FY19 included a savings of $1.9 million from using public works personnel versus contractors. USAG Drum is also 100% renewable energy sustainable and can readily transition between grid and energy facility, according to their nomination packet. The New York garrison also earned the Great American Defense Community and Army Community of Excellence in 2019 awards.

USAG Hawaii also mentioned many achievements in its nomination packet. Hawaii’s average monthly interactive customer evaluations (ICE) surpassed 1,000 submissions with an average satisfaction rating of over 90%.  The IMCOM-Pacific garrison also made multiple facility improvements including renovations to the golf course, tropics recreation center and a bowling center. USAG Hawaii has helped with land preservation as well. They invested over $2.3 million to preserve 12,000 acres of land through the Army compatible use buffer program.

USAG Rheinland-Pfalz’s achieved a 94% customer service rating from the community despite the high-risk staffing levels, according to their nomination packet. The IMCOM-Europe garrison has made improvements with its energy consumption, saving a total of $380,000 annually. They also have a large volunteer program that recorded 32,000 volunteer hours during FY19. Volunteers helped with activities like outdoor adventure programs and community-wide sports tournaments.

USAG Fort Huachuca, Arizona Child Development Centers received re-accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Huachuca’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation directorate received $212.7K in community sponsorship support according to their nomination packet. The funds helped them put on special events including a haunted hayride, free movie nights and music festivals, all free to Soldiers and families. The Arizona garrison was also one of seven military installations selected to participate in the Sentinel Landscape Partnership because it has one of the most successful Army Compatible Use Buffer Programs in the Army.

USAG Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, listed many positive aspects of its installation including the construction of 71 new housing units. Their housing population increased from 40 residents in 2017 to 257 in 2019. In FY19 Rock Island had a total of 106,486 total visitors, according to its nomination packet. Visitor passes allowed the community to access the installation and visit historic venues, participate in events and services, and enjoy the recreational opportunities.

The five garrisons competed against other installations in their directorate to be crowned the best garrison.