FORT SILL, Okla. -- The Army Award for Maintenance Excellence is a recognition all Army troops want on their records. The 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery can now add its name to the trophy. The 2-4th FA submitted a 20-page narrative in October, detailing its maintenance operations as a whole.
The application represented the hard work, proficiency and excellence the battalion put forth.
Many programs within the 2-4th FA maintenance are designed to ensure quality work and assurance. The battalion instituted platoon services, which allows all batteries to go through services by platoon. This dictates what pieces of equipment will be serviced every six months.
There is also a sustainment rodeo during field exercises to ensure batteries are always combat ready for the following day's missions.
To keep up quality assurance, the battalion started a load test program. Every piece of equipment that needs to be load tested are kept on a tracker, sorted by battery and tested annually. The load test complete and due date, along with the rating, are stenciled on each piece of equipment.
At the beginning of the year, the 2-4th FA was notified it was in the final four and the inspection and evaluation of their maintenance programs by the Department of the Army would come in March.
In March, the battalion convoyed to Doña Ana, N.M., near White Sands Missile Range. There the Soldiers received a thorough evaluation of all their maintenance systems including vehicle and equipment services, safety, test measurement and diagnostic equipment calibration, the Army Oil Analysis Program, cleanliness and organization, and overall maintenance operations.
The battalion had no vehicles breakdown or towed during the 1,200-mile round-trip road march to and from its deployed site.
The AAME was established in 1982 by the Army to recognize exceptional accomplishment in maintenance and provide added incentive to the competitive programs of major Army commands. Units are evaluated on their effectiveness in ensuring Soldier competency is maintained.
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