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EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Soldiers with the 1344th Transportation will be lead by their company commander Capt. Bradley Roach to Washington, D.C. June 1 to receive the Army's top award for maintenance. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey is slated to present the unit with the award.
"I was shocked when I heard that we received first place," Roach said. "We have been working really hard the past couple of years and this year it paid off."
The East St. Louis-based unit won the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence for a medium-sized unit and will receive the award the first week of June. The 3625th Support Maintenance Co., based in North Riverside, Ill., won a third-place award in the competition as well.
The competition isn't easy. The 1344th competed with similar-sized companies across the Army, after first winning at the National Guard Bureau level.
"Winning this award challenges us to continuously perform at the highest level of readiness," said Sgt. 1st Class Cory Harbison, Soldier with the 1344th. "Leadership has played a major role in winning this award."
The unit first submitted a 20-page nomination packet, which was thoroughly reviewed by a 12-member panel. The panel looked at mission accomplishment and operational readiness, use of resources, management techniques, how well the unit took care of its Soldiers and its community relations program.
The panel is just the first level of elimination. The 1344th had to fight its way through several levels of competition before coming out on top, including a detailed on-site inspection by a team of Army evaluators.
"The team goes through every aspect of the unit's maintenance program. It is very thorough," said Lt. Col. Drew Dukett, commander of the 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. "They are serious about finding the best maintainers in the Army."
While the competition presents an opportunity to recognize troops that don't often see the limelight, the ultimate goal is to save both lives and money, said Col. Tracey Nelson, Illinois National Guard's Director of Logistics.
"The equipment must work when the Soldier needs it," Nelson said. "And the money we save by not having to unnecessarily replace equipment helps the Army get the troops all the tools they need."
Roach said preparing for the competition took a bit of time, but it also was a good tool to help him evaluate his maintenance program.
After winning the Army award, the 1344th will now compete at the Department of Defense level.
For more information about competing in the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence programs, visit www.goordnance.apg.army.mil or call Capt. Shawn Nokes at 217-761-3817.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2009 11:59 |
| Story ID: | 34222 |
| Location: | EAST ST. LOUIS, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 317 |
| Downloads: | 276 |
This work, 1344th Transportation Rolls in Army Maintenance Competition, by MAJ Bradford Leighton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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