Hill AFB competing for excellence award

Hill Air Force Base was named as one of the top two bases in the Air Force and is competing against Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the Commander in Chief's Installation Excellence Award.

The winner gets $1 million, recognition at the Pentagon in May, an Installation Excellence Trophy, Installation Excellence flag and a congratulatory letter signed by the president. The runner-up gets $500,000 for future base improvements.

Team Hill planned to host the Installation Excellence Selection Board Wednesday and today. During its visit, the board, composed of a general and three wing commanders, will tour parts of the base to talk with people and see the services and products produced.

Hill was selected as one of the top two bases on numerous criteria: improving the work environment and quality of life; enhancing the productivity of the work force; increasing customer satisfaction; encouraging bottom-to-top communication and team problem solving; promoting unit cohesiveness; recognizing outstanding individual efforts; and promoting energy conservation and environmental safety.

The president established the award in 1984 to recognize the outstanding efforts of people who operate and maintain Department of Defense installations, according to a Hill press release. The award encourages commanders to create an environment that promotes innovative and creative ways of enhancing base-level services, facilities and quality of life.