Defenders earn ACC recognition

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shane M. Phipps
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  The Security Forces Squadron here recently earned the honor of calling themselves the 2011 ACC Outstanding Security Forces Medium Unit.

The official announcement for the prestigious award was sent to the wing Feb. 29 and has highlighted a year of exemplary work and dedication by Gunfighter Defenders.

"This means a lot to me personally, but more importantly it means a lot to the Defenders who are a part of the unit," said Maj. Keith Quick, Commander 366th SFS. "I just steer the ship, it is their dedication to the mission, hard work and pride that move the ship forward and led the unit to winning this award.

"From keeping the base safe, to the unit compliance inspection, to the open house, to maintaining our deployment tempo, everything the Defenders touched last year turned to gold, and I am very excited that they have been recognized and rewarded for their efforts," he continued.

The 366th SFS is no stranger to recognition. According to www.ranger95.com, they received the same award in 1995 and 1998, and achieved the highest credit at Air Force level in 1997.

While this accomplishment is a clear testament to the defenders' commitment to excellence, they could not have done it alone.

"For the base, this unit award just stresses how great the entire Gunfighter team really is," explained Quick. "While this is a unit specific award, it took more than one unit to win it. There are many units and organizations that support the SFS mission, and it is the combined efforts of all of them that allowed the 366th SFS to win this award."

The security forces team was able to rise to the occasion after being challenged to meet the high standard of their commander.

"There are specific items such as the unit's performance during the unit compliance inspection and the open house that standout, but over all I would say what sets this unit apart from the rest is much broader than that," declared Quick. "It is the professionalism, pride and dedication, to not only accomplish our mission but to do it in the best possible manner. I threw out a very simple challenge to the unit when I arrived in June of 2010, 'Leave it better than you found it'."

This simple idea has driven members of the unit at all levels to seek out and make improvements, both big and small, to how they accomplish the mission. It is in this way that the 366th SFS has distinguished itself from the rest.