Top teams can vie for excellence award

  • Published
  • By Richard Salomon
  • Air Force Manpower Agency Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNEWS) --  For more than 14 years, the Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards, sponsored by the Air Force chief of staff, have been recognizing those Airmen who use a systematic approach to enhance mission capability, improve operational performance and create sustained results. For 2007, the Air Force's goal to work smarter and more effectively continues with an official call for CSTEA nominations. 

"In this era of competing resources, this award is important because it recognizes a new and better way of doing business," said Ms. Audrey Tudyk, CSTEA program manager. "Whether it's saving manpower dollars or improving a particular process, CSTEA recognizes the tremendous impact Airmen have on improving Air Force operations." 

In 2006, the five award winners and the 15 other nominees saved the Air Force about $620 million in first year savings alone, Ms. Tudyk added. 

To compete for 2007, teams must have completed a performance improvement process two years prior to Sept. 1, 2007. Field operating agencies and direct reporting units have until May 18 to nominate one team each to Headquarters Air Force's Human Resources office. The suspense dates for major commands and the Air National Guard vary with each command; contact your local manpower office for specific timelines. All Air Force members -- military, civilians and contractors -- are eligible to participate. 

One of those 2006 participants, the Air Force F-22 Raptor Acceptance team from Langley Air Force Base, Va., was a 2006 CSTEA winner and one of nine teams that earned Air Force Best Practice honors. They created "in plant" acceptance procedures that placed "blue suit" inspection teams on site with manufacturers to accept F-22 Raptors during the production process. 

"It's not often that you get to go to D.C. to meet the (chief of staff) and (the secretary of the Air Force) and explain to them personally what you do," said Master Sgt. Timothy Silkwood, Raptor Acceptance Team superintendent. "And although we were familiar with CSTEA beforehand, putting together our nomination package wasn't that difficult.  It was pretty straightforward with well-defined steps." 

Beginning this year, submitting your team for the award has become even easier. In the past, 10-page nomination packages were required. Now, all nominations will be submitted on an Air Force Form 1206 (front and back). 

For CSTEA instructions and requirements, visit https://www.afma.randolph.af.mil/ and click on "Air Force Awards" under the Performance Management section. 


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