53rd unit takes ACC Installation Excellence Award

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron's Agile Combat Support Division works to save time, money and, most importantly, the lives of today's warfighters.

The work in the division recently garnered special recognition at the command level. The group received a Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence unit for Air Combat Command and is now in line to compete at the Air Force level.

The CINC's Installation Excellence was established to recognize the efforts of people who operate and maintain DoD installations and who have done their best with their resources to support the mission, said Anthony Ordner, Agile Combat Support Division director.

"The award encourages commanders to create an environment that promotes innovative and creative ways of enhancing base-level services, facilities and quality of life," he said.

The 11-member division specializes in chemical and environmental defense and collective protection by providing toxic free environments, Mr. Ordner said. Tests conducted by the division ensure today's warfighter is protected. The group's work covers a board spectrum of functional areas.

"Promoting innovation and creativity is our specialty, especially in the area of chemical and biological collective protection testing," Mr. Ordner said. "This expertise focuses on the sustainability and survivability, [which are] key parts of our 53rd Wing mission."

Recent tests include a year-long project on ejection seat cranes, testing how long an aircrew could remain protected in a contaminated environment and the ability of a portable hospital to remain containment free.

The crane was tested to ensure it could life a 1,500 lb capacity, said Capt. Daniel Camacho, manager for the project. The division worked to verify the crane could lift numerous items, from canopies to ejection seats, on a variety of different aircraft.

"The tasking was to test all the things we could without interrupting someone's work and taking an aircraft aside just for a test," the captain said. "One of the big premises of the operational testing we do is to have regular operators in the field. That is why we went to Nellis for this test and had them work on real, live airplanes that had missions to fly."

Two main objectives existed for the cranes to be used on the aircraft, said Carl Williams, assistant program manager and 10-year division member. One was to make sure the cranes were operationally effective, and the other was to make sure they were operationally suitable.

"The cranes that are in the Air Force inventory right now have basically run the course of their life," Mr. Williams said. "Rather than have three or four different cranes for different aircrafts, they wanted one that fits all. When [warfighters] deploy to different forward operating locations, they don't have to take four different cranes for four different aircraft."

The group tested on A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, HH-GO and the T-38. The crane was also designed for F-22s and F-35s.

"We got a lot of good inputs from the users, and some of the items they found are being corrected before it gets to the field," he added.

Inputs covered a variety of issues from the directions bolts were turned to metal treatments to prevent rust, Captain Camacho said.

"We try to make things easier for the warfighter down range," he said. "We are here to make sure people get good equipment they can rely on."

The division tests everything that deals with ground support, Mr. Williams said. Included in these are chemical/biological tests that involve chemical simulants. These tests have become increasingly joint.

First Lt. Conor Carey, Agile Combat Support Division program manager, attributes the division's success to two pivotal factors.

"The first is a highly competent, experienced and motivated team that works well together towards common goals," he said. "The second is our leadership, which put us in a position to succeed. We understand their intent, and they support us in every way possible. When you have great leadership and teamwork, it is hard to not be successful."

As a program manager, the lieutenant's job, similar to his military, civil service and contractor coworkers, affects the safety of the United States military's greatest assets: the warfighter.

"What we do on a daily basis will affect all our services warfighting capability for years," Lieutenant Carey said. "Hands down the most important part of my job is getting the correct information to the appropriate decision maker to ensure our Airman and other service members are given the greatest chance at success."

In the past fiscal year, the division managed 22 projects, wrote six test plans, verified nine joint chemical biological defense test standards and produced one field recommendation group also managed $4 million in funding from 21 test customers and built a new test facility including chamber, lab, administration area, instrument and mechanical room.

"The 53rd Wing does amazing work for a wide variety of missions to be part of a team selected to represent the wing in any capacity is humbling," Lieutenant Carey said. "My personal spin on it is we have been challenged; when you get this kind of recognition you can't allow yourself to become complacent. Instead, we must continue to raise our standards."