Installations Excellence - Yokota competes for top air base

YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JAPAN

01.13.2017

Story by Airman 1st Class Donald Hudson  

374th Airlift Wing

After being selected as the top base in the Pacific Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan has been selected as one of two finalists in the running to receive the Commander In Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence; a team is scheduled to conduct a two day evaluation of Yokota Air Base between Jan. 12-13, 2017.
The award winner is being decided by a team of five Air Force members acting as the Installation Excellence Selection Board, consisting of officers and enlisted personnel. The board will be evaluating 24 specific areas of Yokota Air Base; ranging from housing and services to quality of life and unit morale.
The team will gage how well Team Yokota performs as a whole to keep the Air Force mission successful. The award period covers Oct. 1, 2015 – Sept. 30, 2016. The other finalist for the award is Barksdale Air Force Base, La. The installation that receives the award will get a monetary prize to be used for morale events on the installation.
“The importance of this award is a chance to showcase all that we do at Yokota and recognition for the Airmen that make Yokota great,” said Lt. Col. Song Rihm, 374th Dental Squadron dental support flight commander and facilitator for the incoming board.
The award has two categories; the CINC’s Installation Excellence Award and the CINC’s Special Recognition Award. The Special Recognition Award is for teams or individuals.
The award recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations, according to Master Sgt. Erica Y. Neiser, 374th Airlift Wing Chapel Operations superintendent. It is a way for the Air Force to showcase how well base members operate as a team to keep the mission successful, and encourages commanders to create an environment that promotes innovative and creative ways of enhancing base-level services, facilities, and quality-of-life.
“Yokota accomplishes a lot on a daily basis is a lot for what we are given,” said Rihm. “On top of going above and beyond the needs of the Air Force’s mission, Yokota’s relationships with the Japan Self Defense Force and the local community are getting stronger every year.”
In 1985, President of the United States Ronald W. Regan established the CINC’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence to recognize the outstanding efforts of the people who operate and maintain Department of Defense installations and who have done the best with their resources to support the mission.
“I’m proud to be part of this team,” said Rihm. “And proud to serve with such great Airmen.”

• Date Taken: 01.13.2017
• Date Posted: 01.13.2017 02:22
• Story ID: 220277
• Location: YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP