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© 2013 KentuckyGuard
Story by Lynsie Dickerson, The Gold Standard
The Army Communities of Excellence program is based on the principle that communities support people best by combining excellent services with excellent facilities in a quality environment. ACOE Awards, which have been presented since 1989, are given annually to the Army installations scoring highest in the Army Communities of Excellence competition.
FORT KNOX, Ky. — Fort Knox has taken home the bronze award in the 2014 Army Communities of Excellence competition.
“It’s a program that focuses on continuous process improvement and performance excellence,” said Derek Avey, a management and program analyst who helped put together the application packet.
Criteria for the ACoE program is based on the Malcolm Baldrige Award, a national award focused on recognizing performance excellence. Key categories are leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, knowledge and information management, workforce focus, operations focus, and results.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the garrison team,” said Col. T.J. Edwards, Fort Knox garrison commander. “This award is a testament to the high-caliber professionals we have who dedicate themselves each and every day to being the best stewards of taxpayer dollars and the environment.”
Applying for the ACoE award is a yearlong process, Avey said. The application packet includes about 30 pages of criteria response, about 20 pages of results and is usually submitted in September. Packets are evaluated and each competing installation is given a score. A senior evaluation team determines the winners based on input by subject matter experts.
“The good things we have are our leadership, our planning capability, our ability to change as an organization, quickly,” Avey said, adding that Fort Knox has also been recognized for its Department of Defense Blue Ribbon School; Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs; and environ-mentally- and energy-sound facilities.
The Fort Knox hazardous material turn in program was one of the best practices recognized in the Army Communities of Excellence award bestowed on the garrison.
“Our energy, environmental and service contract efforts were singled out by U.S. Army Installation Command as being best practices,” Edwards said. “Great credit, in particular, goes to the individuals working in those areas. Our Plans, Analysis, and Integration Office employees deserve particular recognition as well because of their hard work in presenting these areas and more to IMCOM for consideration. In all, the award really is the result of an all-around Garrison team effort. I am humbled to be able to lead this amazing team.”
This is not the first time Fort Knox has won an award in the competition. The installation won the exemplary practice award in 2012, honorable mention in 2011, bronze in 2009 and several awards for placing in the top three in the mid to late ‘90s.
Fort Knox will receive $30,000 for winning the bronze award, and garrison leadership will determine how the money will be spent, Avey said.
“The significance (of winning this award) is it tells the Army that…we do a lot of great things, all the time, every day, supporting the Soldiers and their Families” as well as retirees, suppliers, contractors and other team members, Avey said. “It’s a holistic award that I think just lets the Army recognize and lets Soldiers throughout the world know that Fort Knox is a top-notch installation.”
“Our team of professionals approaches everything we do with the mindset of setting the gold standard for the entire Army,” Edwards said. “With this approach, we’ve been successful in achieving results and maintaining a first-rate quality of life for the Army Family that works, lives and plays at Fort Knox. This is truly a team effort.”
By Airman Joshua Horton, 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Tech. Sgt. Don Yeats, a radio frequency transmission craftsman from the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, fires an M4 rifle during the Adjutant General’s Kentucky National Guard State Rifle and Pistol Training Event on July 27, 2013, at Fort Knox, Ky. Fifteen Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing competed in the contest July 27 and 28. The 123rd took first place in the pistol team competition, rifle team competition and overall aggregate. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)
KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Three teams from the 123rd Airlift Wing scored multiple victories against members of the Kentucky Army National Guard in the Adjutant General’s Kentucky National Guard State Rifle and Pistol Training Event held at Fort Knox, Ky., on July 27 and 28.
To see all the photos from this story, please click HERE!
The annual contest is sponsored by the Kentucky Army National Guard Small Arms Readiness Training Section to promote full combat readiness with a friendly competition, said Senior Master Sgt. Darryl Loafman, ground and weapons safety manager at the 123rd Airlift Wing here.
Awards are given for multiple team and individual competitions using pistols and rifles shot at life-size targets with distances ranging from 25 to 400 yards for rifles and 15 to 30 yards for pistols.
“Military members don’t normally get this opportunity to receive advanced marksmanship training at this level,” Loafman said. “This training goes well above and beyond the Air Force qualification course.”
This year, the 123rd’s A team took first place in the pistol team competition, overall competition and aggregate score. The B team took first place in the rifle team competition, while Loafman won the individual pistol competition and placed second overall.
“You really get to learn what people are made of,” Loafman said of the contest. “You’re building a team. You have all those personalities out there you have to be able to deal with, but you learn a lot about people when they’re under stress.”
Senior Master Sgt. Darryl Loafman, pistol team captain for the 123rd Airlift Wing marksmanship team, fires an M9 pistol during the Adjutant General’s Kentucky National Guard State Rifle and Pistol Training Event on July 27, 2013, at Fort Knox, Ky. Fifteen Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing competed in the contest July 27 and 28. The 123rd took first place in the pistol team competition, rifle team competition and overall aggregate. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)
“I’ve been shooting a long time,” added Loafman, whose first event with the marksmanship team was in 1998. “Whether it’s different positions or new equipment, it’s fun just to compete and learn new things.”
Loafman encouraged all interested Kentucky Air Guardsmen to join the team.
“We’re always looking for new, young shooters to come out and represent the Kentucky Air National Guard.”
Fifteen Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing competed in the Adjutant General’s Kentucky National Guard State Rifle and Pistol Training Event July 27 and 28, 2013, at Fort Knox, Ky. The 123rd took first place in the pistol team competition, rifle team competition, and overall aggregate. (Courtesy Photo)
Fifteen Kentucky Air Guardsmen participated in the two-day contest, joining 40 Soldiers from the Army Guard.
Nine Airmen were added to The Governor’s Twenty, an exclusive list that represents the top 20 shooters of the competition. They were Loafman, Senior Airman David Farc, Senior Airman Jacob Fuller, Senior Airman Abe Hilbers, Tech. Sgt. Randall Ford, Tech. Sgt. William Pentecost, Master Sgt. Travis Keehner, Master Sgt. Timothy Kenney and Senior Master Sgt. John Siebert.
First-place rifle team members were Senior Airman Amber Updike, Ford, Pentecost and Keehner.
First-place pistol team members were Fuller, Hilbers, Loafman and Siebert.
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Elmore, 1123rd Sapper Company, Operations NCO
Soldiers of the 1123rd Engineer Company train on the Buffalo Surrogate Vehicle as part of their train-up for Route Clearance operations in Afghanistan. The Buffalo is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle with a hydraulic arm used to interrogate suspected Improvised Explosive Devices.(KYNG photo by Sgt. Kelly Burch, 1123rd Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
FORT KNOX, Ky — The 1123rd Engineer Sapper Company of Leitchfield, Kentucky had the opportunity to receive some practical hands on training at Fort Knox, Ky., Nov. 3, 2012. The 1123rd continually trains to remain proficient on demolition, obstacle emplacement and reduction as well as mobility and counter-mobility operations.
Soldiers of the 1123rd Engineer Company train on the Buffalo Surrogate Vehicle as part of their train-up for Route Clearance operations in Afghanistan. The Buffalo is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle with a hydraulic arm used to interrogate suspected improvised explosive devices.(KYNG photo by Sgt. Kelly Burch, 1123rd Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
The training mission of the 1123rd was to conduct route clearance operations during the training. The Soldiers received vital training and experience by being able to, for the first time, use recently acquired Buffalo armored vehicles or MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected). The Buffalo was built for protection from IEDs and up to 45 pound landmine explosion under any wheel.
“As a sapper company this was the first time we’ve had a chance to focus collective training solely on route clearance missions,” said Sgt. 1st Class Geoffrey Gleitz. “From task organization to planning and then to the execution of our mission, all focused around route clearance. As a platoon we were able to start developing SOPs based off of our training, previous experiences and current TTPs.”
According to Soldiers of the unit, the sappers’ aggressive nature allows them to adapt to any mission the Army hands out. Only a handful of the Soldiers in the 1123rd had any experience in route clearance. They relied on their leadership, embedded expertise, and natural drive for success to complete the training.
This was the first time the 1123rd had the opportunity to incorporate the Buffalo for training on a training weekend. Individually, Soldiers were instructed by members of Counter IED Integration Cells on hand held detection systems. Soldiers also received several briefs that were supported by Kentucky’s Pre-deployment Training and Assistance Element.
The 1123rd is gearing up for a potential deployment to Afghanistan in 2013.
“Continued mission focused training like this will allow us to develop as we prepare for future operations,” said Gleitz.
Soldiers of the 1123rd Engineer Company soldiers are instructed by members of Counter IED Integration Cells on hand held detection systems at Fort Knox, Ky., Nov. 2, 2012.(KYNG photo by Sgt. Kelly Burch, 1123rd Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
Story by Sgt. Scott Raymond, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs
Aerial view of the Kentucky Army National Guard’s Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site at Fort Knox, Ky. The facility received the 2012 Army Award for Maintenance Excellence for Region III, a competition with 13 other states. (Photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Greg Scott)
FORT KNOX, Ky. — On the edge of the Fort Knox garrison, military vehicles and equipment sit in clean, straight lines next to ordinary maintenance buildings that line the roads. A majority of those vehicles are ready for service, thanks to the extraordinary work of the Soldiers in those buildings who maintain them.
One such building is the Kentucky Army National Guard’s Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site (MATES), whose Soldiers were recently recognized for running one of the best maintenance facilities in the National Guard.
In competition with 13 other states, the Kentucky facility placed first to win the 2012 Army Award for Maintenance Excellence (AAME) for their region, in the TDA (Table of Distribution Allowances) Small category.
“This award is a true measurement of everything this facility has accomplished, from maintenance to safety to community involvement,” said 1st Lt. Timothy Lee, Assistant MATES Superintendent.
In August, the site submitted its packet for consideration at the National Guard level. Shops across the country were graded on mission readiness, training, hazardous material management, resource management and recycling, to name a few categories.
Master Sgt. Aaron Young, a Surface Maintenance Mechanic Inspector with HHB 623rd Field Artillery, troubleshoots an electrical fault in a M1078 vehicle at the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site at Fort Knox, Ky. The facility employs 51 Kentucky Guardsmen full-time supporting Kentucky units and neighboring states.(Photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Greg Scott)
Lee said changes put into effect over the past year have really made an impact in the overall operation.“We have redefined our workflow process,” he said. “Redefined everyone’s jobs and job duties and implemented an inspection section for all aspects of work.”
Improvements in cost savings and site management have produced numbers worthy of national attention. The last eight months of the fiscal year saw a 300 percent increase in productivity per person over the previous year. All while 15 Soldiers of the 51-man workforce were deployed overseas.
Lee said they are working toward cost savings by changing the way they order parts. Instead of ordering whole repair kits for vehicles, individual parts were ordered. In complying with the Army Oil Analysis Program, which addresses the usage of vehicle and equipment fluids, Lee estimates that Kentucky saved $51,000 in man-power in just one year, while saving around $105,000 in products.
The site also has decreased its electrical needs thanks to installed solar panels that help provide power to the building. The panels contributed to a decrease of 31.5 percent in electric energy usage. Their inventory has nearly 400 less products on hand than last year.
“We have truly been able to do more with less in this fiscally constrained environment,” said Lee.
A number Lee said the whole MATES is proud of is its 96.6 percent organizational readiness rate from last year. This means that only 3.4 percent of the entire fleet was down for maintenance for more than one month consistently. This covers vehicles and equipment used in support of drill weekends, annual training periods or pre-mobilization training during the year for Kentucky units as well as National Guard units from Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Indiana and North Carolina.
“Our participation in the AAME competition has had great command emphasis and has been a critical ingredient to establishing an organizational culture that highlights the necessity of a rock-solid maintenance program,” said Lt. Col. Timothy Pickerrell, MATES Superintendent. “I am honored to lead this facility and to be a part of this hardworking group of technicians.”
1st Sgt. Douglas Hall is also proud of his Soldiers at the MATES, and gives a lot of credit to the leadership for “keeping everyone on track”. He said his command’s collective effort to improve the operation and boost morale is well received in the building and increases the motivation of the Soldiers to do a better job.
“Because of the way everything is organized and flows so well, we have maintained productivity,” said Hall. “Each shop is seeking even more work.”
Hall isn’t shy about acknowledging the accolades, knowing he’s part of a special operation that represents the Kentucky National Guard on a national level.
“If you want to see what a successful maintenance operation looks like, look at us.”
In addition to the MATES facility, the Central City-based 307th Component Repair Company also won first place in their regional unit category and will participate nationally later this year in an Army-wide competition.
Story by David Altom, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office.
Spc. Michael Hill, Staff Sgt. Robert Unger and Staff Sgt. Richard Cummins leap to victory during a run on the obstacle course at Fort Knox, Ky. Spc. Christina Riddle used her cell phone to capture this memorable moment in her unit's training day. (KYNG photo by Spc. Christina Riddle, Co. B 351st Aviation Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
NOTE: Each week kentuckyguard.com publishes stories by or about Kentucky National Guard unit public affairs historian representatives, also known as UPAHRs. This is an additional duty taken on by a Soldier or Airmen with the intent of telling their unit’s story. This is one such story ….
Click here to view all the photos on this story.
FORT KNOX, Ky. – As a human resource specialist for the Kentucky National Guard, Spc. Christina Riddle has a passion for helping Soldiers with personnel issues and problems that affect their career and welfare.
Sgt. Anthony Shick makes a last check on his C-23 Sherpa before taking off from the Capital City Airport in Frankfort, Ky. (KYNG photo by Spc. Christina Riddle, Co. B 351st Aviation Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
Riddle also serves as a supply specialist for Company B, 351st Aviation, where she ensures the troops have what they need for their missions and their training.
But that’s not all she does. Riddle took on the dubious extra position as the Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative, or UPAHR, where she takes on the task of telling the story of her fellow troops, to “make them famous.”
When Riddle saw an opportunity to tell her unit’s story, she seized the day … and the opportunity.
“When I was asked to attend the annual UPAHR training by my training NCO to take photos of my unit, I eagerly agreed,” said Riddle. “However, after informing others of the training, I was asked ‘who did you make angry?’”
Riddle quickly set aside any doubts about her new responsibilities once she attended the training in Greenville.
“Not only did I meet so many new people from other units, I also learned more than I could ever know about the Kentucky Guard,” she said. “I’ve only been in for four years, so knowing the history of what I represent is amazing to me.”
Her new responsibilities gave her a new perspective on what means to be in the Guard.
“After learning that it is now my job to show others what I see and what we do is an honor,” she said.
Spc. Jason Dunmire learns the controls of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Ky. (KYNG photo by Spc. Christina Riddle, Co. B 351st Aviation Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
Riddle’s first assignment was covering her unit’s weekend training at Fort Knox. She was issued a complete set of professional quality photography gear, but found the responsibility for the state of the art gear intimidating.
“I was so nervous about damaging it that I left it locked in the van,” she said with a laugh.
Her decision put her in a spot once she saw the troops getting into the spirit of the training. Not one to let an opportunity to pass her by, the new UPAHR pulled out her cell phone and started taking pictures.
“I was actually excited to think I could get the state of the art equipment to do this, but it’s not about the equipment,” she said. “My first trip with my unit as the UPAHR this past weekend proved that. It’s the people. It’s not just me, but the Soldiers. Without them there wouldn’t be a picture!”
Staff Sgt. Richard Cummins breezes through the obstacle course at Fort Knox, Ky. (KYNG photo by Spc. Christina Riddle, Co. B 351st Aviation Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
“It’s amazing from to be able to capture what I get to see as a Soldier and show my pictures to my husband and children and have them actually understand what we do.”
For her next assignment Riddle will consider using her issued equipment. If her skills with a cell phone are any indication, she ought to do her unit proud.
MJO
Story and photo by: Sgt. Bryan Ploughe, UPAHR 1/623rd Field Artillery
Col. Ron L. Turner, incoming commander of 138th Fires Brigade, accepts the brigade gideon from Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, the Adjutant General of Kentucky, at Ft. Knox, Ky., Oct. 17.
FORT KNOX, Ky. (October 17, 2010) – Kentucky National Guard redlegs (a term for artillerymen who wear a red stripe down the dress uniform) assembled at Brooks Parade Field on a picture perfect day to welcome Col. Rondal L. Turner as commander of the 138th Fires Brigade.
In his 27-years of service, Turner has held numerous positions with the Kentucky National Guard, including chief of staff. But Oct. 17, he was welcomed back to the launching pad of his military career with the Fires Brigade.
“This was the perfect day for me to come back to my roots with the Kentucky National Guard artillery,” he said. “I’m looking forward to commanding the fine Soldiers assigned to this brigade.”
The 138th Brigade is headquartered in Lexington, Ky., with more than 800 Soldiers represented in units from three states.
Turner accepted the command from Col. Rodney Hayes who will continue as the Chief Information Officer for Kentucky.
Attending the ceremony were Turner’s daughters, Ashlee, Allison and Avery, son-in-law Josh and grandson, Abram.
Turner presently serves as the full-time Chief of Staff for Joint Force Headquarters, Kentucky National Guard. In 2009 he was selected to attend the Army War College Resident Program in Carlisle, PA.
