The Department of Defense (DOD) announced the 2020 winners of the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards. These awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in weapon systems and military equipment maintenance.
A total of six field-level awards are presented in three categories - large, medium, and small. The recipients of this year's Secretary of Defense Field-level Maintenance Awards in the large category are the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN and the 56th and 944th Fighter Wings combined as the 1K Maintenance Group. Winners in the medium category are the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force and 100th Maintenance Group. The small category winners are Bravo Company, 526th Brigade Support Battalion and the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron FIVE ONE.
The Secretary of Defense Field-level Maintenance Awards are symbolized by the legendary Phoenix, a mythological bird which lived for some five centuries, died, was consumed by flames, and then reborn from its own ashes. Periodically, so states the myth, the Phoenix would again and again be reborn. This unique ability of the legendary Phoenix to rejuvenate and renew itself characterizes the role of weapon systems and maintenance in the DoD. The winner of the Phoenix Award, recognized as the best of the best field-level maintenance units, will be selected from the six field-level award winners.
The depot-level award is named in recognition of Robert T. Mason, a former assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for maintenance policy, programs, and resources. Mason served as the champion of organic depot maintenance for three decades and was instrumental in transforming DoD organic depot-level operations. The recipient of the 2020 Robert T. Mason Depot Maintenance Excellence Award is Satellite Transportable Terminal Depot Maintenance Program, Tobyhanna Army Depot.
The department also recognized the sustainment training, advice, and assistance of foreign military forces awards. This year’s ministerial category winner is the Jordan Country Project, Institute for Security Governance and the operational category winner is 108th sustainment brigade - task force Lincoln, Team Blackhawks, United States Central Command.
The 309th Software Engineering Group at Ogden Air Logistics Complex was selected as the Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper award for software maintenance excellence in the second year of its award.
The awards will be presented to the winners on January 13, 2021 in the Pentagon Auditorium.