13 AF, 15 AW Earn Coveted Air Force-level Award Published Feb. 22, 2008 By Jeff Nicolay 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Hickam AFB, Hawaii -- The Pacific Air Forces commander announced last week that both 13th Air Force and the 15th Airlift Wing earned Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards. The two were among six PACAF units so honored. The wing won the award in part for its many initiatives, including streamlining maintenance processes. Members of both 13th Air Force and the 15th Airlift Wing have yet another reason to be proud of their respective units -- both were among a select group of six Pacific Air Force winners of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the second year in a row, according to the office of Gen. Carrol H. Chandler, PACAF commander. "I am both extremely honored and humbled by this award," said Col. JJ Torres, 15th Airlift Wing commander. "I am honored because I'm privileged to lead such a proud and truly deserving organization; I am humbled because this award has less to do with anything I have accomplished as the commander, but really represents the hard, dedicated work of our Wing Airmen -- both military and civilian -- who daily rise to the challenges of our modern day force. PACAF sources said 13 AF won the award during the period of Oct. 6, 2006 through Oct. 31, 2007; 15 AW won for the period of Nov. 1 2006 through Oct. 31 2007. According to both Colonel Torres and Lt. Gen. Loyd "Chip" Utterback, 13 AF/CC, all Airmen serving under their respective commands during these periods will qualify for the award ribbon. Qualifying Airmen will receive the ribbon after records have been updated and permission granted for them to wear it on their uniform. Air Force sources list the decoration, which was created in 1954, as one being awarded as a ribbon to any command of the U.S. Air Force (including Reserve and Air National Guard) which performs exceptionally meritorious service, accomplishes specific acts of outstanding achievement, excels in combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or conducts with distinction military operations involving conflict with, or exposure to, a hostile action by any opposing foreign force. In the citation accompanying the award notification, the 15th Airlift Wing was hailed for, among other things, devising a $16-million C-17 ramp expansion to increase aircraft parking by 30 percent and, in a PACAF first, completing a $5.6-million communications project to provide network backbone carrying real-time UAV video feed. The wing also garnered kudos for having completed first-ever Air Force and Navy squadron integration program -- a joint-concept collocated sister service VIPSAM mission -- and for reducing DoD aircraft maintenance costs by $2.2 million through a central contract. For 13th Air Force, the Outstanding Unit Award notification order said the following: "Thirteenth Air Force demonstrated the vast reach and flexibility of United States airpower and resourcefulness of Air Force personnel through their involvement in numerous real-world activities from disaster relief/humanitarian assistance to Joint Task Force - Support Forces Antarctica to the Global War on Terrorism, and to the development and execution of daily Air Tasking Orders for the entire Pacific theater. In addition, they successfully planned, executed, and sourced 31 exercises that involved over 10,000 personnel -- over twice as many exercises than any other Component Numbered Air Force." 'I can't tell you how proud I am of our folks in 13th Air Force," said General Utterback. "Through our support group, our AFFOR staff and the AOC they demonstrate, every single day, the incredible reach and flexibility of U.S. airpower throughout the Pacific. You can sleep well at night knowing that our 13th Air Force team is ready 24/7/365 -- and you can take that to the bank." The unit was also hailed for scoring an overall 'Excellent' rating in its 2007 Unit Compliance Inspection and for Air Force-level winners 17th Operational Weather Squadron as Squadron of the Year, and 56th Air and Space Communications Squadron, Communications and Information Team of the Year for 2006. The unit also stood out with its 2006 PA CGO and SNCO of the Year awards and PACAF '07 CINC Installation Excellence Award. In addition, 13 AF scored high marks for spearheading the first-ever PACAF-led bilateral air defense ops with continuous bomber presence assets/JASDF fighters and achieving a 100-percent success rate. According to General Chandler's office, the other PACAF Outstanding Unit Award winners were: 11th Air Force, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea; 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan; and 36th Wing, Anderson AFB, Guam.