Rear Adm. Mary M. Jackson, Commander Navy Region Southeast, recognized Naval Air Station Whiting Field as the recipient of the 2014 Installation Excellence Award, in its respective category, Oct. 21. The award lauds the top Navy commands at shore for their installation management, program excellence and community outreach.
NAS Whiting Field will continue on to compete at the Commander Navy Installations Command level against the top bases from other regions worldwide. Winners at the CNIC level will compete with military bases from other services for the Commander in Chief awards.
This is the first time NAS Whiting Field has achieved this milestone in the 30-year history of the competition, and it comes at an appropriate time as it completes a sweep of the regional awards for Pensacola area Navy bases. NAS Pensacola earned top honors for entry in the category for more than 500 personnel.
Installations are graded across fifteen key areas including: facilities management, quality of life, environment, energy, property stewardship, communication, safety and health as well as many other categories. Each entry is limited to a four page write-up of accomplishments plus supporting documentation and photographs.
NAS Whiting Field received word of the award Tuesday afternoon, and Commanding Officer Capt. Matthew Coughlin quickly praised his team for the accomplishment.
"Each of you perform a vital role in our mission: producing the best aviation warfighters in the world. Well Done. You each support the Fleet, Fighter and Family and you deserve this special recognition!" he said.
However, while NAS Whiting Field receives the recognition, the honor couldn't be achieved without a community that supports and partners with the air station to accomplish the mission. The award nomination package included citations emphasizing partnerships with Santa Rosa County toward achieving "Safe Community" designation for the county, encroachment partnering to secure property around the base to prevent incompatible development, incorporating 16 Military Family Life Counselors in area schools creating the most robust program in the country, hosting the Military Appreciation Month picnic for local military and retirees, and many, many more.
"This is a big win for us, but also for the local area. Without the support of the local community, we can't succeed at our core mission," Coughlin stated. "They work with us throughout the year and ensure our service members are well cared for. This is as much a validation of the work done by our many partners in the county as it is an award for the team at the installation."
NAS Whiting Field was selected as the regional representative from a field of eight military bases from Florida to Tennessee to Texas. Navy Region Southeast is the largest of the Navy's eleven regions and consists of more than 25 percent of all the entrants within this competitive category.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: NAS Whiting Field Earns Installation Excellence Distinction