Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carolyn Hart | Lt. Gen. Pat White, III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, was joined by 1st...... read more read more
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Monday maintenance is the beginning of most Army units across the force. It is such a scheduled part of the routine that many Soldiers plan their schedules around the time it takes to perform their preventive maintenance tasks. Units carve out the first couple hours out of the first day of the week to dedicate to this task.
For one unit, maintenance is more than just a one day event, it is one of the main focuses of all the Soldiers within the organization. 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division has set itself apart by winning the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence.
The AAME, established in 1982, is awarded yearly to recognize exceptional accomplishment in maintenance, as demonstrated by 3-8 Cav.
“Imagine having the best car dealership in the world,” explained Lt. Dillon Shaw, the battalion maintenance officer. “That’s really what this translates to in the civilian world.”
The competition is divided into three categories, small, medium and large, which are based on the number of personnel in that specific category. The unit competed in over 300 large categories.
Six units across the branches of service, which includes the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines were designated as the best.
“We were one of six that were designated as the best,” said Shaw. “That’s really huge. Imagine getting a dealership here in Central Texas that’s the best dealership in the United States.”
This award could not have been earned without the tireless efforts of every Soldier within the entire brigade.
“It’s a huge highlight within our forward support company that’s attached to 215th Brigade Support Battalion,” explained Shaw. “They helped provide the maintenance such the Bradley mechanics, tank mechanics.”
This award was established in order to provide added incentive to the competitive programs of major commands. The commander’s influence and participation in his program was pivotal to its success.
“Every Monday when we hold a battalion formation within the motor pool, the battalion commander is out there in coveralls and conducting maintenance,” said Shaw “He’s setting a standard for the company commanders and when your Soldiers see that presence it gives them buy in on their platform.”
The battalion has 294 pieces of rolling stock, meaning anything wheels, along with 4995 pieces of equipment that require maintenance.
“I have enormous pride that the battalion has won this award, but what gives it special meaning to me is that we are a combined arms battalion,” explained Lt. Col. Nicholas Sinclair, 3-8 Cav battalion commander. “We’ve deployed eight times, with or without some of our equipment. We have 12 different families of vehicles, a lot of which require a lot of attention.”
Maintenance is the commander’s program and it is a priority among the command team at 3-8 Cav.
“For the battalion to win this award is honestly a unit award,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas Sinclair, battalion commander. “There’s no way that one person can do it on their own. IT has to be something that permeates throughout the entire organization at all levels and it represents pride from myself and all the way down to the newest Soldier.”
| Date Taken: | 12.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.14.2021 16:50 |
| Story ID: | 411121 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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