Dover named best in AMC Published Nov. 7, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace 436th AW Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The stage was set for a tough competition as forces from the Mid-Atlantic battled forces from the South and West. The stakes were high - with money and pride on the table. Who would rise to the top of the command and bolster their pride? Who would take home the winnings? Dover Air Force Base soared above the rest of Air Mobility Command Nov. 2, when officials announced Dover bested the efforts of Travis AFB, Calif., and Charleston AFB, S.C., in the AMC Commander in Chief's Installation Excellence Award and rewarded Team Dover with $100,000 for quality-of-life projects. The winning trophy and check were presented to Team Dover by Maj. Gen. James Hawkins, 18th Air Force commander, on behalf of the AMC commander, Gen. Arthur Lichte, in a celebration Wednesday at the Base Theater. The command's and the Air Force's priority was summed in four words: 'taking care of Airmen.' Taking care of Airmen is nothing new as the focus on winning the Global War on Terror, developing Airmen and taking care of them and their families, and recapitalizing and modernizing the fleet, is constantly at the forefront of Team Dover's commitment to excellence. Wings from 12 installations competed for the award. AMC's evaluation team scored seven different focus areas in 26 functional specialties. Within those areas, Team Dover offered 137 areas of excellence for evaluator review during a 10-hour visit. "I can't say it any more clearly - you were MAGNIFICENT!" said Col. Steven Harrison, 436th Airlift Wing commander. "Being the best does not come easy, yet you've shown yourself to be the best mobility wing, in the best Air Force on the planet." Many Dover Airmen may have felt the deck was stacked against them as the inspection was thrown right into the mix with the first-ever Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century senior leader's conference, a major accident response exercise, deployment exercise and several distinguished visitors touring the base. On top of that, many Dover Airmen returned from the Airlift Tanker Association conference the day the inspection began. "In the wake of a very hectic schedule and days of downpour and high winds, Team Dover had the base looking spectacular," said Colonel Harrison. "Our Airmen's apparent enthusiasm and mission focus carried the day." For most of AMC, preparation meant one wing on one base getting ready to shine. However, for Dover, circumstances were not as simple. "This was a Team Dover effort highlighting the outstanding synergy and accomplishments of the Eagle and Liberty Wings, our tenant units and the local community," said Maj. Dave Glass, 436th Maintenance Operations Squadron commander, who, according to Colonel Harrison, was paramount to Team Dover's success. One unique aspect was the base's standing up of a action center for the visit. "(The center was) the centralized command and control that made our perfect synchronization of the five members of the team to 137 different sites on the base a possibility," said Colonel Harrison. "This synchronization was one item the team described as 'amazing.'" Another aspect was the commitment of Colonel Harrison's hand-picked team, led by Col. Dennis Daley, 436th Maintenance Group commander. As AMC winners, Team Dover's written award package will be forwarded to represent AMC and compete against all other major commands. Headquarters Air Force will review written nominations from all major commands and select the top two bases as finalists. Subsequently, the top two bases will receive an Air Force evaluation team visit in January or February. The top base will earn the title 'Best in the Air Force,' and win $1 million for quality-of-life projects. The following individuals were lauded "outstanding performers" by the AMC inspection team: Capt. Thomas Abell, 436th MSS Capt. Mark Slik, 436th CS Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Fortier, 436th LRS Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Hellwig, 436th OSS JoAnne Deramo, 436th CES