Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2024 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards. These awards recognize exceptional achievements in weapon systems and military equipment maintenance.
The Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper Award for Software Maintenance Excellence, named after RDML Grace Hopper, honors top organic software activities that provide extraordinary capabilities for operational units. This year's recipient is the 309th Software Engineering Group, Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill Air Force Base.
The DoD also selected winners for the Sustainment Training, Advice, and Assistance of Foreign Military Forces Awards. These awards acknowledge teams or organizations excelling in training, advising, and assisting developing countries' militaries as part of U.S. foreign policy goals. The Institutional Capacity Building Team for Tbilisi, Georgia from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency won in the Ministerial Category. The Fury, Forward Support Company, 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, Southern European Task Force, Africa was awarded in the Operational Category.
The Robert T. Mason Award for Depot Maintenance Excellence recognizes exceptional quality and achievement in depot-level maintenance programs within the DoD. This award commemorates Robert T. Mason's contributions to depot-level maintenance programs as a former Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Maintenance Policy, Programs and Resources. The C-5 Programmed Depot Maintenance Team from the 559th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex received this year's award.
Six field-level award winners were selected across three categories: small, medium, and large. Winners in the small category are Fleet Air Western Pacific Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment Atsugi, Japan; and 3rd Munitions Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Medium category winners include 317th Support Maintenance Company from Germany; and 1st Maintenance Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California. Large category winners are USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8), Naval Base San Diego; and the 48th Maintenance Group at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England.
One unit among these six field-level winners will be chosen as this year's Phoenix Award recipient during the annual DoD Maintenance Awards Banquet in December.
Award presentations will take place on December 11, 2024 at Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah during the annual DoD Maintenance Symposium.
For more information about these awards and the symposium visit www.sae.org/dod.
