Keesler named AETC nominee for Air Force Installation Excellence Award Published Oct. 17, 2011 By 1st Lt. Victoria Porto 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Air Education and Training Command selected Keesler Air Force Base as its nominee for the Air Force 2011 Commander-in-Chief's Installation Excellence Award. General Edward Rice, Jr., AETC commander, made the announcement Oct. 13, referencing Keesler as "Best of the Best" in the command and its nominee to compete at the Air Force level. "Keesler's leaders and personnel have created an environment promoting innovation and pride in ownership to enhance base-level services, facilities, and quality-of-life," Rice stated. According to AFI 36-2831 "The Commander-in-Chief's (CINC's) Annual Awards for Installation Excellence," the award was established by the President in 1984 to recognize the "outstanding efforts of the professionals who operate and maintain Department of Defense installations." Keesler summarized those efforts in a four-page nomination package that included more than 200 examples of excellence in the following categories: Airfield and Mission Operations; Chaplain; Communications; Comptroller; Programming; Contracting; Environmental; Housing Management; Airman & Family Readiness Center; Fire Protection; Surgeon General; Judge Advocate; Logistics readiness; Public Affairs; Security Forces and Force Protection; Services; Personnel and Education Services; Safety; Energy; and Other Initiatives. "It's absolutely terrific for AETC to recognize Team Keesler for not only making Keesler Air Force Base better but also serving as positive examples for others in AETC, the Air Force, and even the Department of Defense," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Wright, 81st Contracting Squadron commander and 81st Mission Support Group acting deputy commander. "We won for AETC not because of a singular achievement, but because in each of the functional areas, the unit found a way to improve a process or develop an innovation out of their own initiative, and this effort created an outstanding impact." Keesler will now compete against the nominees from the nine other major commands to determine the top two Air Force finalists. The Installation Excellence Selection Board will then visit the finalists, judging the installation's efforts in seven categories: improving work environment or physical plant, improving quality of life, enhancing work force productivity, increasing customer satisfaction and service, encouraging bottom-to-top communication, promoting unit cohesiveness and recognizing outstanding individual efforts, and initiating sustainable energy and environmental practices. At stake is a $1 million prize for first place and $500,000 for the runner-up to be used for quality of life improvements. "We are thrilled to represent AETC at the Air Force level and showcase the way we train, care, and innovate here at Keesler," said Brig. Gen. Andrew Mueller, 81st Training Wing commander. "Everyone on Team Keesler should be proud of their hard work and accomplishments, which directly led to this recognition and nomination."