ARLINGTON, VA (Army News Service, April 16, 2008) - Fort A. P. Hill, Va., will be honored as winner of the Army Chief of Staff Communities of Excellence Award for Year 2008 at a Pentagon ceremony May 8.
Fort George G. Meade, Md., took second place in the Army Communities of Excellence awards U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, Korea, took third place.
The Special Category winner for the Army National Guard is the West Virginia Army National Guard. The 65th Regional Readiness Command in Puerto Rico is the Special Category winner for the Army Reserve.
"We are extremely proud of these installations for preparing themselves and holding themselves up to the critical self-evaluation that is the true value of the ACOE program," said Maj. Gen. John A. MacDonald, deputy commander of the Installation Management Command. "This award represents the pride and dedication the IMCOM garrison workforce brings to making our installations the kind of home our Soldiers and Families deserve."
The ACOE awards are presented annually to recognize performance excellence in installation management by Army garrisons. The award recognizes continuous business process improvement, individual innovation, groundbreaking initiatives, and dedication to efficiency, effectiveness, and customer care in providing support to Soldiers, civilian employees, retirees, and families who work, live, train, and play on Army installations.
The ACOE program uses the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program Criteria for Performance Excellence, to evaluate competing installations. The criteria are the basis for performance excellence recognition programs in 44 states and 60 nations, as well in federal agencies including the U.S. Army, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Participants are judged against this common standard and not against each other.
Winning installations are selected by an independent panel of six judges, based on the evaluation of the installations' written applications and additional information gathered during site visits by examiner teams. The winning installations receive professional recognition and monetary rewards, based on their ranking.
<b>USAG-Yongsan </b>
Third-place winner USAG-Yongsan in Seoul, Korea, will receive a $750,000 cash prize for the annual competition.
"We are ecstatic, "said Garrison Commander Col. Dave Hall. " This is a professional, people-focused organization and it's our vision to ensure the well-being of our community."
Hall said the Garrison will continue to invest in the infrastructure of the installation through quality of life improvements and facility upgrades.
Barry Robinson, Plans, Analysis and Integration chief said the garrison's motto of "here for you" has led employees and staff to maintain a customer focus.
<b> Fort Meade </b>
Second-place winner for two consecutive years, Fort Meade, allotted its 2007 ACOE money for projects including the building of Centennial Park, refurbishing conference rooms and purchasing a mobile skateboarding park.
"The recognition is a testament to the dedication, professionalism and hard work of the Fort Meade work force," Installation Commander Col. Kenneth O. McCreedy said. "The fact that we have been recognized as a community of excellence two years in a row is an affirmation that the program we put in place and our culture of continuous improvement are taking us in the right direction."
Fort Meade will receive a $1 million dollar prize for the support of Soldiers, civilian employees, retirees and their families.
<b>Fort A.P. Hill </b>
Fort A. P. Hill, having finished third in the ACOE for three consecutive years, will receive a $2 million dollar grand prize in 2008 for finishing is first place.
Lt. Col. Michael S. Graese, A.P. Hill's garrison commander, said "I am just elated at this honor and the recognition it brings to our deserving team of professionals, who bring such dedication, talent and experience to our critical job of supporting America's fighting men and women."
Fort A. P. Hill also is the Army recipient of the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence. The winners of the 2008 Commander in Chief's Award were announced April 15. The five Department of Defense recipients of the Presidential award were selected for their exemplary support of DoD missions.
The Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations. Excellence in installation management enables better mission performance and enhances the quality of life for military men and women and their families. Each winning installation succeeded in providing excellent working, housing and recreational conditions.
"Every day, I'm amazed at the performance of our staff and the employees. They're the epitome of organizational agility, coordinating challenging training scenarios, maintaining diverse infrastructure, and exercising superb stewardship in taking care of this outstanding training destination," said Graese.
Each winner receives a trophy and commemorative flag.
The 2008 Commander in Chief's Award ceremony is also scheduled for May 8 at the Pentagon.
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