AFMC Command News

Eglin airfield complex selected as best of the best

  • Published
  • By Capt. Josie Stewart
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — With nearly five million square yards of pavement used by six wings, five major commands, six civilian airlines, the Army and the Navy, the 46th Operations Support Squadron here recently won the 2005 Complex of the Year award.

“Winning Complex of the Year award is huge,” said Lt. Col. Mike Penland, 46th Operations Support Squadron commander. “It means we are the best airfield complex in the entire Air Force.”

According to Colonel Penland, the 46th Airfield Operations Flight operates one of the most complex airspace and airfield setups in the Air Force. Not only do they have such a large area of pavement to maintain, but they also have approximately 140 military and civilian personnel working in both the control towers and base operations, Duke and the Eglin Radar Control Facility. They also manage all civilian traffic that comes into and out of Crestview, Destin and Okaloosa terminals, and all the air traffic that overflys this area going east and west.

“It is virtually a symphony of activity that must be safely orchestrated to ensure all customers can operate safely in and out of (the area) while balancing mission requirements for test, training, real world operations and civilian air traffic,” Colonel Penland said.

Not only did the Airfield Operations Flight bring home the U.S. Air Force’s 2005 Complex of the Year Award, but on an individual basis the 46th Test Wing also brought home nine of the 13 awards offered at the major command-level. In addition to that, the 46th TW captured four of the 13 individual awards offered at the Air Force-level.

“The 46th TW won 69 percent of all Air Force Materiel Command’s AOF individual awards and 31 percent of all the Air Force’s AOF individual awards,” said Maj. Kevin Virts, 46th OSS. “I have been involved in this career field for 15 years and I can say that I have never witnessed one unit take the lion’s share of the MAJCOM-level awards, nor as many Air Force awards as we did,” Major Virts said.

Some of the accomplishments for the 46th OSS include:

- Facilitated no-notice staging point for two presidential aircraft six times

- Keen weather observers spotted waterspouts three miles south of airfield, warned base and halted departures

- Eight-year best Air Traffic System Evaluation Program

- Tornado damaged tower restored with no mission impact and awarded “Best in Test”

- Protected $3.1 billion in aircraft assets through three hurricanes and two tropical storms

- Excellent exercise support –– managed the 33rd Fighter Wing’s 1,680 sorties in only three days

- Coordinated the first-ever launch of the British Tomahawk from a U.S. submarine –– protected the airspace during the live fire.

“This is unequivocally the most competitive and most coveted award and is only given to the cream of the crop AOF. This is a testimony to the blood, sweat and tears of the 130 plus individuals in the ERCF, in both towers and on both airfields sacrificed daily,” Major Virts said.

“Everyone in the airfield operations flight is motivated to get the mission done and get it done safely,” Colonel Penland said. “They are the catalyst to ensure that virtually every test, training and real-world mission on the Eglin Complex is accomplished safely and expeditiously. Bottom line is this is a very big deal and I’m very proud of my folks for all their hard work. I’m just glad they are getting the recognition they deserve.”