BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
The Air Force Reserve's 940th Air Refueling Wing here just finished two grueling years, and faces more challenges ahead. But the wing's hard work did not go unnoticed. The unit was selected for the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the sixth time in a row.
Maj. Gen. Allan Poulin, Air Force Reserve Command vice commander, announced the award in a letter Jan. 7. This is the tenth time overall the wing received the award.
"Wow! This is unbelievable," Col. Albert Reif, 940th ARW commander said. "It's a true testament to the talent and dedication of the wing. Their excellence can't help but bubble up and be recognized. I'm very proud."
The AFOUA recognizes the outstanding achievements and contributions of the wing from Oct. 1, 2005 through Sept. 30, 2007, according to Lt. Col. Abigail Uptegraff, 940th ARW executive officer and author of the award nomination package.
"This award reflects the wing's past two years of exercises, inspections, deployments for the Global War on Terror, air taskings, unit accolades, individual awards and community involvement," Colonel Uptegraff explained. "This is in addition to surpassing the standards in all basic areas; otherwise we wouldn't have been eligible."
Although the 940th is known for flying the KC-135 Stratotanker, the award was not won on the accolades of a single squadron; rather, it is a team effort.
"Our Airmen exemplify team work; pulling together to get the job done," Colonel Uptegraff said briskly. "There is great trust between us all. Our people have the assurances that their supervisors will do everything they can to take care of their people; we take care of people and in turn they take care of the mission."
That philosophy has been tested during the previous couple of years.
In November 2005, President George Bush and congress accepted most of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's recommendations for the U.S. Air Force. This included changing the 940th's mission from aerial refueling, a 31-year tradition, to reconnaissance and command and control.
By law, all eight of the unit's KC-135 Stratotankers must be transferred to Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. by Sept. 30, 2008. In fact, the first two jets left Jan. 29, 2008 for their new base, and the rest are scheduled for transfer throughout the spring.
"BRAC was a huge psychological and physical obstacle," Colonel Uptegraff said. "It impaired a huge part of the wing."
Since the BRAC announcement, many Airmen associated with the tanker mission retired or moved on to other opportunities, this in turn left fewer people to do the job, the executive officer said.
Additionally, in the midst of the award period, Air Force Reserve Command swapped the unit's KC-135 T-model jets with a third unit's R-models. This arrangement will eventually allow the command to control a strictly R-model KC-135 fleet, according to Colonel Uptegraff. These changes, as well as an unknown future for the wing and its people put additional stress on the wing's Airmen.
"We've had a continuous challenge with BRAC," Colonel Reif said, "but we always rise above and continue to excel. Even in the heat of the battle, we're still recognized for excellence."
But the wing commander notes there is hardly time to take a breath and acknowledge the honor. Instead, he plans to use the momentum from the award for an operation readiness inspection that begins Feb. 3. The ORI will test the wing's readiness to go to war. This is in the midst of the wing's scheduled air expeditionary force deployments for GWOT and a still robust flying mission.
"The fact that we continued to excel in the face of adversity is really a testament to our people," Colonel Reif said proudly. "It bodes well for the wing as it changes to the new missions and looks to the future."