News

Three units from Robins earn 2007 CINC awards

  • Published
  • By Holly L. Birchfield
  • 78th ABW/PA
Three groups from Robins were recently named winners of the Air Force's 2007 Commander in Chief Installation Excellence Awards' Special Recognition Category.

The Civilian Discipline Team in the 78th Air Base Wing Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, the AAR-47 Infrared Integrated Product Team and the 51st Combat Communications Squadron each earned the prestigious award.

The 78th ABW/JA's civilian discipline team's involvement in a wide range of administrative and criminal actions to ensure good order and discipline of the Robins civilian population earned the team special recognition.

The team, made up of Dee Dial, a labor law attorney in the 78th ABW/JA, and Patricia Leary, a paralegal and program manager who oversees the magistrate court, vehicle forfeiture and on-scene barment programs, serves all five wings and associate units at Robins to ensure civilian accountability, and to uphold Air Force standards for good order and discipline. The base's prosecution of 17-year-olds in Federal Court gained Department of Defense recognition as the only juvenile prosecution program in the U.S. Air Force.

Ms. Leary said she's proud her team represented Robins at Air Force Materiel Command competition for the award and is honored the team earned Air Force level recognition.

Lt. Col. Nathan Berman, the 78th Air Base Wing's Staff Judge Advocate, said the recognition is a testament of the team's hard work.

"The Civilian Discipline Team primarily consists of Ms. Pat Leary and Ms. Dee Dial, and both of them put a tremendous amount of work into the civilian discipline within Robins Air Force Base," he said. "They had some innovative programs on the installation, such as the Vehicle Forfeiture Program, which I think put us over the edge as far as competition with Paula Tarnawsky, AAR-47 Infrared Countermeasures Integrated Product Team program manager in the 542nd Combat Sustainment Group, was equally proud of her 30-plus team members who earned the special recognition for their part in installing the missile detection system that spots surface to air missiles.

"It's outstanding," she said. "There were a lot of people doing a lot of hard work. I think it speaks highly of the quality of people who are employed at Robins."

Col. Tim Freeman, 542nd Combat Sustainment Group commander, said the award was a result of a true team effort.

"I am very, very proud of the team," he said. "It was a combined effort with the folks from the (402nd) Software Maintenance Group in the 402nd Maintenance Wing and the 542nd Combat Sustainment Group pulling together to address a real world threat to our A-10 aircraft, and we were able to capitalize on funds made available through the Global War on Terrorism funding."

Colonel Freeman said the team used its creativity and innovation to find a solution for the A-10 in a short timeframe, and the recent recognition just reflects the pride and work ethic of Robins' people.

Maj. Don Grannan, 51st CBCS commander, said the special recognition award exemplifies what his people are made of.

"The men and women of the 51st Combat (Communications Squadron) have been very busy and I am very proud of them," he said. "From Iraq to Pakistan to back home on the Gulf Coast, they have rebuilt infrastructure and helped enhance the quality of life conditions for those in need. But their accomplishments would not have been possible without the teamwork of the entire 5th (Combat Communications Group) and the whole Team Robins community."

In 1984, the President of the United States established the CINC's Annual Award for Installation Excellence to recognize the outstanding efforts of people who operate and maintain Department of Defense installations and who have done the best with their resources to support the mission. The special recognition award is earned by organizations that demonstrated innovative and imaginative thinking leading to noteworthy achievements.