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Expeditionary Center earns 14th Air Force Organizational Excellence Award

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
FORT DIX, N.J. --  For the 14th consecutive time since the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center opened its doors in 1994, the unit has earned the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award.

The award was presented to center by Air Mobility Command Jan. 30 and received at the center Feb. 24. The award period covers June 6, 2007, to June 5, 2008. Airmen assigned to the Expeditionary Center at Fort Dix and its detachments at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and Hurlburt Field, Fla., during that time are eligible to wear the AFOEA ribbon.

Gen. Arthur Lichte, commander of Air Mobility Command, sent a congratulatory letter to Expeditionary Center Commander, Maj. Gen. Kip Self, telling the men and women of the center the award was justly deserved.

"Congratulations to you, and all the men and women of the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center for earning the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award," General Lichte wrote in the letter to General Self on Jan. 30. "The dedication and hard work you have displayed in preparing our Armed Forces for its many global challenges has been especially noteworthy.

"I'm extremely impressed with the 'total team' effort you put forth to earn this award," General Lichte wrote. "Keep up the great work."

In the citation for the award, it shows how the center distinguished itself through a year of excellence. The citation shows the Expeditionary Center graduated "more than 7,560 students from 67 in-residence courses and more than 10,200 students through 11 Web-based training courses."

During that year, the Expeditionary Center also ensured more than 13,000 Community College of the Air Force credits were awarded to deserving Airmen. Additionally, the center provided readiness training in the full spectrum of mobility air forces to people of more than Air Force specialties. As a result, the center's Mobility Operations School garnered the AMC nomination for the Frank G. Brewer trophy for aerospace education in 2007.

"Furthermore, the Expeditionary Center led five Air Force Chief of Staff-directed Eagle Flag exercises, 14 Advanced Contingency Skills Training Courses and developed Air Forces Central Command's Fly Away Security Team training preparing more than 3,000 Airmen to deploy in support of the Global War on Terrorism," the citation also shows. "Finally, the Expeditionary Center's Air Mobility Battlelab leveraged $4.2 million to orchestrate 33 innovative concept demonstrations, despite a 55 percent manning cut, saving billions of dollars and revolutionizing expeditionary and mobility capabilities."

This was the second time the award was given under the name of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center. Prior to 2007 when the center's name changed, 12 awards were given as the Air Mobility Warfare Center.

According to the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, the Secretary of the Air Force authorized this award on Aug. 26, 1969. The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award recognizes the achievements and accomplishments of U.S. Air Force organizations or activities. It is awarded to Air Force internal organizations that are entities within larger organizations. They are unique, unnumbered organizations or activities that perform functions normally performed by numbered wings, groups, squadrons and related organizations.