Legacy of Excellence at Dover

  • Published
  • By Col. Manson Morris
  • 436th Airlift Wing commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Once again Dover Air Force Base is making history! On Sunday evening the Air Force Installation Excellence Selection Board will arrive here ... for the second time in just two years! As one of two finalists for the prestigious 2010 Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence, Team Dover will be hosting the evaluation team until Wednesday morning. This is, in itself, an incredible honor. Across the installation, everyone I see is excited about the opportunity to give the Board a firsthand look at our outstanding programs - programs that routinely define the standard that others strive to achieve.

I can say without reservation that we are ready for their visit! Their assessment is focused on elements that are firmly embedded in Dover's culture of excellence: a passion for continuous process improvement, top-down and bottom-up communication, mutual support and leadership at all levels that is both creative and aggressive.

These elements combine to make Team Dover the most innovative, dynamic, resourceful and mission-focused organization in the Air Force. We see this pioneering spirit and drive every day as our outstanding professionals provide superior warfighter support, execute combat missions worldwide, and demonstrate that they are never satisfied with the status quo as being good enough.

The last year has been filled with unprecedented accomplishments. Team Dover's aggressive pursuit of full-spectrum excellence directly led to the wartime deployment of its C-17 squadron 12 months early, as well as its selection to conduct the operational test and evaluation of the Air Force's newest strategic airlifter, the C-5M. Additionally, Team Dover maintainers successfully stood up the Air Force's only major Maintenance Steering Group Version Three process, building upon their groundbreaking regionalized isochronal inspection improvements to increase aircraft availability by the equivalent of seven additional C-5s per day.

Base civil engineers expertly managed a $55 million in-house runway reconstruction, ensuring the Department of Defense's primary aerial port was able to process 138,000 tons of cargo and 8,000 passengers - something they achieved despite a loss of their automated cargo processing equipment. Resourceful program management, forward thinking and advance preparation enabled Dover to capture the second-most economic stimulus funds in the Air Force, funding 20 additional base projects, while simultaneously ensuring a $14 million, cutting-edge dormitory replacement stayed ahead of schedule and under budget.

A vibrant medical readiness program sustained the best vaccination excellence record in the Air Force while base members oversaw $2.7 million in critical facility upgrades supporting the no-fail mission of returning America's fallen with dignity, honor and respect - a mission that is performed on a national stage all too often.

I've had the opportunity to serve on a number of high-performing teams during my career and I can say without question that this is the best. This installation's track record has proven that it is without doubt manned by an exceptional group of Americans, filled with talent and dedication, and they have put their abilities to exemplary use building and sustaining absolutely outstanding organizations that come together to do great things for our nation.

I am confident we will showcase to the Selection Board the fact that Team Dover's Legacy of Excellence is no accident, that innovation and full-spectrum mission excellence define our culture, and that we are truly the Air Force's best! See you at the Victory Rally. Deliver!