The Fort Sill Mobilization and Deployment Brigade won awards for the 2010 Chief of Staff, Army Deployment Excellence for the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard supporting unit categories.
The Army created the competition to recognize and award units and installations for deployment excellence, to capture and share innovative deployment process initiatives and to track Army deployment training trends for doctrinal and training updates.
"The honor of winning these awards is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication from our Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and civilians assigned to this brigade," said Col. Gary Russell, brigade commander. "These awards are testimony to the sacrifices and hardships this unit endured working nonstop for months ... and covering multiple mission requirements while working shorthanded."
Tasked with assisting units deploying and returning from overseas, the brigade processed more than 6,900 Soldiers in direct support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Russell said his unit's achievements were made possible in part through the concerted efforts of the entire Fort Sill team and expressed his thanks.
Award criteria consisted of a 10-member review board which compared packages of all 66 nominated units. Later evaluation teams visited each organization and evaluated supporting documents, queried brigade members and toured mobilization support facilities. The combined scores determined each winner in large and small deploying units, supporting units and installations.
Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Iserman said even being selected for the awards was an honor.
"To win both awards is especially gratifying," said Iserman. "This shows the quality of Soldiers and civilians the Army National Guard and Army Reserves are made up of and how we can work together to take care of Soldiers."
The brigade's National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers are all borrowed from units across the United States. Some of the civilian employees are retired Army personnel while others are spouses of active-duty and Reserve Soldiers.
DEA awards will be presented at the Sixth Annual Chief of Staff Combined Logistics Excellence Award ceremony and banquet June 24 in Richmond, Va.
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