Hurlburt Field maintainers receive DOD award Published Nov. 3, 2008 WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Maintainers from Hurlburt Field, Fla., were named the winners of the Department of Defense Phoenix Award, the highest field-level maintenance award within DOD, Oct. 29 in Denver. Representatives from the 1st Special Operations Maintenance group were on hand at the award ceremony during the 2008 DOD Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition. The 1st SOMG earned the honor by accomplishing "truly superior aircraft maintenance," which supported the generation of 3,200 combat sorties that flew nearly 14,000 hours over hostile territory. Challenged with a $336 million modification program and the bed down of two new weapon systems at home, the maintainers were still able to generate 4,200 training sorties that produced more than 3,100 combat-ready aircrew needed for Air Force and joint missions. Despite this imposing operation tempo, maintenance Airmen throughout the group still supported 65 off- and on-station training and exercise commitments, leaned multiple processes -- highlighted by a revamped training program that saved 98,000 labor hours per year -- and accomplished more than 33,000 training events. Other award winners were: -- B Company, 610th Brigade Support Battalion from Fort Riley, Kan. -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 from Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, S.C. -- Fleet Readiness Center Northwest from Whidbey Island, Wash. -- 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Aviano Air Base, Italy. -- 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery from Fort Bliss, Texas. The Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award for depot-level maintenance, the Robert T. Mason Award, was also presented and the Navy's H-1 Aircraft Production Program, Fleet Readiness Center East, Cherry Point, N.C., was named the winner. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page