Cannon wins installation excellence award

Cannon Air Force Base is this year’s recipient of the Commander-in-Chief’s 2005 Installation Excellence Award for Air Combat Command, according to a Cannon press release.

The award recognizes efforts of airmen at Department of Defense installations who have most efficiently used their resources to support the mission, the release said. The award comes with $100,000 to be used for quality-of life improvements.

“Our goal is to be the best at fixing and flying jets,” said Col. John Posner, 27th fighter wing commander, in the press release. “You don’t get there without every agency on base contributing their best effort.”

Capt. Andre Kok of Cannon’s public affairs office said a representative from each of the Air Force’s nine major commands received the award.

“That allows us to now compete for the Air Force level, then the Air Force goes up against the other four (military) services,” Kok said. “So we’ve won (at) the first of three levels.”

Kok said the base will be allowed to spend its prize money “basically on anything that can be categorized as quality of life — to improve facilities or improve the quality of life for the airmen stationed at Cannon.”

He said Posner will ultimately decide what to do with the money.

For nomination, the base had to show innovative programs that help create and sustain excellent base operations, the release said. The base had to show installation improvements and enhancements in:

• the work environment or physical plant

• quality of life

• productivity

• customer satisfaction or customer service

• top-to-bottom communications and problem solving

• cohesiveness and recognize outstanding individual efforts

• and environmental safety.

“When Cannon becomes one of the to three finalists we will begin to prepare for the Air Force IEA team visit, which will inspect Cannon in the January/February time period,” said Maj. Shawn Larcher, who was the 27th fighter wing installation excellence award project officer, in an e-mail from Cannon’ public affairs office.

On Dec. 3 the Air Force will announce the top three finalists for their installation excellence award.

First Lt. Jennifer Geeslin of Cannon public affairs said more cash awards are possible if Cannon continues to excel in future competitions.

The Department of Defense Web site says a single award is presented to each service at a ceremony held at the Pentagon during May each year.

“This award recognizes demonstrated excellence in overall management throughout DOD,” according to the DOD Web site.