FORT LEE, Va. - Conducting logistics for the Army is no small task; units around the world are working tirelessly to meet the Army's needs as more troops are globally deployed. The Army Award for Maintenance Excellence provides an opportunity to recognize outstanding units and their efforts to keep the force sustained.
The AAME is part of the Chief of Staff of the Army's Combined Logistics Excellence awards program, which recognizes achievement in the areas of deployment, maintenance and supply operations. These awards highlight the crucial role logistics play in supporting the warfighter.
The purpose of the award program is to improve and sustain readiness, improve efficiency, remove waste and recognize outstanding maintenance accomplishments by encouraging competition. The AAME was established in 1982 by the Department of the Army, managed by the U.S. Army Ordnance School, Combined Arms Support Command and is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association each year.
The competition consists of two phases: Phase 1, the evaluation process and Phase 2, on-site teams evaluate the semi-finalists selected from Phase 1.
AAME award winners have to display expertise and professionalism in performing their everyday tasks. Each unit is evaluated on their effectiveness in ensuring that Soldier competency is maintained. This year's competition included added questions in the 14 areas being evaluated, which included safety, training, hazmat and publications, to make the competition more challenging.
"This is the first year we asked more questions and overall it was more demanding. In the past, there were 60 questions in 14 areas to evaluate and score, this year we increased it to 130 questions in the same areas," Robert Vachon, AAME program manager, U.S. Army Ordnance School, said. "The folks who won deserved it. The overall scores between the winners and runners-up units were very close, some as close as one or two points."
This year, to streamline and save funding, the AAME competition was evaluated differently. In the past, competitors submitted unit books (binders) for the Phase I evaluation board, then the books were mailed back after the competition. This process was very costly and required a lot of storage space.
The program was improved by having units submit CDs instead. The cost savings for shipping was cut by 80 percent, according to Vachon. This streamlined process allowed for evaluators to reduce the Phase I evaluation board time by three days.
The second phase was comprised of on-site evaluations where units were graded in many categories including readiness, leadership, maintenance management and training. Evaluators traveled to units world-wide in order to determine the winners and runner-ups.
The awards will be presented during the CLEA ceremony at the Greater Richmond Convention Center May 12. The ceremony is the culminating event after the Sustainment Commanders Conference and Association of the United States Army Sustainment Symposium, May 9 -12.
For more information on the program, visit the SEA website: http://www.goordnance.army.mil/AAME/AAME_about.html
This year's winners are:
Depot Category
Winner - Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pa.
Runner-up - Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, Texas
Active Army
Table Of Equipment
Small Category
Winner - Battery B, 2-20th Field Artillery, Fort Hood, Texas
Runner-up - Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), Wiesbaden, Germany
Medium Category
Winner - 317th Maintenance Company, Bamberg, Germany
Runner-up - Co. D, 6-101st Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Large Category
Winner - 2nd Bn., 4th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.
Runner-up - 532nd Military Intelligence Bn., Camp Humphreys, Korea
Table of Distribution and Allowance
Small Category
Winner - U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys Transportation Motor Pool, Camp Humphreys, Korea,
Runner-up - USAG-Daegu Maintenance Division, Camp Henry/Camp Carroll, Korea
Medium Category
Winner - HHC, U.S. Army Joint Multinational Training Command, Grafenwoehr, Germany
Runner-up - 39th Signal Bn., Chievres, Belgium
Large Category
Winner - Army Field Support Bn. North-East Asia, Camp Carroll, Korea
Runner-up - 58th Transportation Bn., Fort Leonard, Mo.
Army Reserve
TOE
Small Category
Winner - HHC, 415th Chemical Bn., Greenville, S.C.
Medium Category
Winner - 238th Maintenance Co., San Antonio, Texas
Runner-up - 471st Engineer Co., Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico
Large Category
Winner - 346th Transportation Bn., Ceiba, Puerto Rico
TDA
Small Category
Winner - Area Maintenance Support Activity #101, St. Josephs, Mo.
Runner-up - Area Maintenance Support Activity #57, New Century, Kan.
National Guard
TOE
Small Category
Winner - Forward Support Co., 1140th Engineer Bn., Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Runner-up - Battery D, 2nd Bn., 174th Maneuver Air Missile Defense Regiment, McConnelsville, Ohio
Medium Category
Winner - 267th Maintenance Co., Lincoln, Neb.
Runner-up - 153rd Military Police Co., Delaware City, Del.
Large Category
Winner - 216th Engineer Bn., Cincinnati, Ohio
Runner-up - 113th Sustainment Brigade, Greensboro, N.C.
National Guar
TDA
Small Category
Winner - Combined Support Maintenance Shop-Oregon, Clackamas, Ore.
Runner-up - Field Maintenance Shop #12, West Paducah, Ky.
Medium Category
Winner - Combined Support Maintenance Shop, Raleigh, N.C.
Runner-up - 183rd Regional Training Institute Maintenance and Supply Shop, Fort Pickett, Va.
All Others
Small Category
Winner -6981st Civilian Support Group, Mannheim, Germany
Runner-up - Busan Storage Center, Busan, Korea
Medium Category
Winner - Maintenance Activity Vilseck, Vilseck, Germany
Runner-up - Installation Material Maintenance Activity, Fort McCoy, Wis.
Large Category
Winner - Material Maintenance Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Runner-up - Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Aviation Category
Winner - 3rd Military Intelligence (Aerial Exploitation), Camp Humphreys, Korea
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