Pittsburgh IAP ARS brings home AFRC CINC AIE Published Nov. 2, 2014 By Staff Sgt.Jonathan Hehnly 911th Airlift Wing Public Affairs PITTSBURGH IAP ARS -- Cheers erupted from the crowd as the 911th Airlift Wing commander delivered the news to more than 1,200 airmen gathered for a commander's call, November 1, 2014. Col. Jeffrey A. Van Dootingh enthusiastically announced that the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station has been selected as the Air Force Reserve Command's pick for the 2015 Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence. "This is phenomenal," said Van Dootingh. "It's great to have the base and its outstanding Airmen get credit and recognition for what we knew all long. It takes a complete wing-wide effort to accomplish the mission." The Commander-in-Chief's annual award recognizes the top five military installations that are the most effective at utilizing their available resources to accomplish their mission and have demonstrated innovative progress in successful installation operations. Every year, the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency nominate their "best of the best" installation to be recognized by the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. This is the fourth time in the history of the award that the Pittsburgh IAP ARS has been selected by its command to compete for the honor of the top Air Force installation. The Pittsburgh IAP ARS competed against five out of the nine AFRC host installations to be named the AFRC's nominee and the winner of $100,000. The Pittsburgh IAP ARS distinguished itself as the AFRC's selection in each of the graded categories that judged the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the installation's management. The award focused heavily on the Mission Support Group functions, encompassing twelve out of the eighteen graded categories. "Reading through the award proposal I could not imagine anyone beating us," said Van Dootingh. "Every possible section was covered and the numbers were outstanding. The efficiencies that we gain here I think could be benchmarked throughout the Air Force." The award proposal package highlighted the Pittsburgh IAP ARS's efficiency across all facets of the installation. Setting itself apart from other installations, the Pittsburgh IAP ARS actually turns a profit for the Air Force through strategic partnerships with the community, to include a joint use agreement with the Pittsburgh International Airport. Recent construction projects of a new lodging and Navy facility have won the installation Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold awards. The construction of the Navy Operational Support Center Pittsburgh made the Pittsburgh IAP ARS a joint service installation. "We have so many accolades already from the past year that we have received, which made it relatively easy to put the package together and win," said Col. Stacey Scarisbrick, 911th Mission Support Group commander. "We won multiple AFRC awards and individual awards throughout the year." The Pittsburgh IAP ARS's package will now compete against the remaining active duty bases for the distinction as the top Air Force installation and for the top prize of $1 million to be used for morale, welfare, and recreation purposes. Once the top three installations are determined, Installation Excellence Review Committees will visit and inspect the installations. "Competition is tough," said Van Dootingh. "We will be against the best from each major command. I look at us as a David in comparison to some of the active-duty Goliaths. They have larger bases and a lot more resources, but as I recall David won in the end; so I think our chances are good."