Deputy Secretary of Defense John P. White presented the 1996
Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards, including the
prestigious Phoenix Trophy, during a Pentagon ceremony June 13,
1996. The Maintenance Awards recognize annually the most
significant weapon system and equipment maintenance achievements
within the Department of Defense.
All four military services were represented this year in the
competition categories of small, medium, and large units. This
is the 12th year of the Maintenance Awards program that was
established to encourage maintenance excellence, to recognize
outstanding achievements in maintenance management and
production, and to demonstrate the essential role of maintenance
in the readiness and sustainability of U. S. forces. The program
is sponsored in conjunction with the American Defense
Preparedness Association.
The 1996 Maintenance Awards recipients are:
Air Force -- 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England --
Winner of the Phoenix Trophy, which recognizes the most
significant weapon system and equipment maintenance achievements
within the DoD. The 2,100 maintenance personnel of the 48th
Fighter Wing distinguished themselves by accomplishing superior
aircraft maintenance (highest F-15 maintenance performance
statistics in the Air Force), while sustaining one of DoD's most
aggressive operating tempos, with 25 percent of its workforce
continuously deployed. The wing simultaneously supported
operations Provide Comfort, Deny Flight, and Deliberate Force,
generating 2,260 combat sorties in support of the no-fly zone
over northern Iraq and air operations over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Air Force -- 1st Component Repair Squadron, 1st Fighter
Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Va. -- The 366 men and women of
this squadron distinguished themselves by creating an environment
of innovation, teamwork, and trust. The unit set production
records in F100 engine spare levels, test measurement and
diagnostic equipment production, avionics electronic warfare
effectiveness, and servicing cart in-commission rates. Their
commitment to improving every process resulted in savings of more
than $3.8 million and over 9,500 man-hours in FY 95.
Air Force -- 31st Special Operation Squadron -- The 170
maintenance personnel of this unit at Osan Air Base, Republic of
Korea, distinguished themselves by accomplishing superior
aircraft maintenance supporting numerous Joint Chiefs of Staff-
directed exercises and joint/combined exercise training events,
local exercises, and training sorties. Despite experiencing an
85 percent turnover in personnel during a 12-month period, the
squadron performed outstandingly. Intense on-the-job training
quickly reversed a high inexperience level, enabling the unit to
meet or exceed all its tasks.
Army -- 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif. --
The 2,356 men and women in this regiment sustained combat
readiness ratings that consistently exceeded Department of Army
standards, while operating at an operations rate of over three
times the Army average. During fiscal year 1995, their
performance as the Opposing Force (a unit trained and equipped
to replicate major combat elements of potential adversaries)
maintained an operational readiness rate exceeding 98 percent.
Innovative maintenance actions allowed the regiment to surpass by
5.7 percent the Army's readiness average on five critical pieces
of wartime equipment.
Navy -- Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117, Naval
Air Station Miramar, Calif. -- This squadron distinguished itself
by demonstrating exemplary maintenance practices for outstanding
achievement in aviation maintenance. The unit achieved a 100
percent sortie completion rate and consistently provided Joint
Task Force Southwest Asia with full-mission-capable command and
control aircraft for the control of joint and combined forces.
Emphasizing cost-saving measures, the squadron promoted a model
price fighter program, which has shown a potential cost savings
in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Marine Corps -- Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12,
Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan -- The 565 marines and
sailors of this squadron distinguished themselves by providing
logistics support to numerous units throughout the Pacific
theater. Their cost and labor initiatives have resulted in
savings of more than $3. 3 million over the past year. The unit
realized mission capability rates of 81.5 percent and full
mission capability rates of 78.2 percent for five tactical
aircraft squadrons each consisting of more than 50 aircraft. The
squadron provided outstanding customer service and innovative
logistics techniques in all operations.
