Excellence in action: 10th FSS wins prestigious Eubank Award

  • Published
  • By Amber Baillie
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The 10th Force Support Squadron here has been named the best in the Air Force after winning the 2014 Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Award last week.

The 10th Force Support Squadron competed against 37 other bases to receive the accolade, recognizing the best small installation force support squadron in the Air Force.         

Academy leaders and 10th FSS personnel celebrated the squadron's accomplishment March 20 at the Falcon Club.

"This award is a testament to how truly special the 10th FSS is," said Col. Stacey Hawkins, the 10th Air Base Wing commander. "It's not so much about the size of our squadron, but rather the diversity of services it provides for cadets, permanent party and thousands of others across the Front Range. The 10th FSS touches every piece of our mission here every day to ensure our active duty Airmen, retirees and families are taken care of. I am incredibly proud as a wing commander of all the selfless individuals within the 10th FSS. It's great to watch excellence in action every day."

Col. Martin Schlacter, the 10th Mission Support Group commander, said criteria for the award centers on customer focus and customer impact.

"Of all the awards we have in the Air Force, the Eubank award is the only one about service and service only," he said. "This includes customer service, service to one another and service to those who don't even know they're our customers."

The award may have been won in a day, but the 10th FSS's history of excellence didn't occur overnight, Schlacter said.

"It takes years to get to a point of mission performance you all are at," he told 10th FSS personnel. "We support everything: childcare, the youth center, the equestrian center, the base library, the dining facility and military and civilian personnel here."

The 10th FSS includes six flights and about 750 personnel. Its mission is to enhance total force readiness for Academy Airmen, their careers, families and quality of life.

"Winning the award is great, but the way you take care of the customers on this installation is much more meaningful," said Ross Ryan, the 10th FSS director. "It's great to be recognized by the Air Force for doing all the right things for our customers."

Schlacter said the squadron deserves the award because of its devotion to its customers.

"I've been to a lot of places where customer service was transactional and here it's a passion," he said. "The 10th FSS is truly passionate about its customers and serving them in a way that improves customer service and our mission."

The Gen. Curtis E. LeMay Award (large base) and Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubanks Award (small base) were established by the National Order of Daedalians in 1965 and 1990, respectively, to recognize the Air Force Services program. Each major command nominates one base in each category.

The Academy and Whiteman Air Force Base were the finalists for the Eubank Award.

"I'm sure it was a difficult call," Schlacter said. "I'm happy it went to our professionals. Of all the bases I've been at, I've never been at one that has won the Eubank Award for their force support squadron. It's the pinnacle of recognition."