Ramstein named best installation in the Air Force

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alexandra M. Longfellow
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

The Department of Defense announced May 17 that Ramstein Air Base won the 2022 Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence.

“Words cannot express how proud we are of this amazing accomplishment,” said Brig. Gen. Josh Olson, 86th Airlift Wing commander. “This is a testament to not only the base, but the incredible community partners and amazing families we have here at Ramstein.”

This is the third time Ramstein has won the award. Ramstein also won in 2006 and 2019. The base will receive a commemorative trophy and flag as well as a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States.

“Team Ramstein is awesome, there is no other way to say it,” said 86 AW Command Chief Master Sgt. Charmaine Kelley. “Every unit and helping agency made this recognition a reality, and as your leadership team, we could not be more proud of your efforts.”. 

The CINC Award for Installation Excellence was established in 1985 to recognize the outstanding and innovative efforts of those who operate and maintain U.S. military installations worldwide.

Part of the selection process included a CINC selection board, which conducted an in-person visit in January to evaluate base operations and gain an understanding of the Airmen who not only make the mission happen, but excel at doing so.

“Installation excellence to me is about service,” said Col. Chris Meeker, 86th Civil Engineer Group commander. “This award is about every single member of Team Ramstein having enough passion and pride to serve each other with excellence with every turn of the wrench, every customer service interaction, every hour of family volunteerism and every daily task we accomplish to make this installation the best it can be.”

The selection board visited units across the 86th Airlift Wing, 435th Air Grounds Operations Wing, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, and other tenant units to see how well Ramstein achieved the DoD’s objectives for this award.

The review included inspections of installation management, including mission support, installation security, force development, quality of life and unit morale, environmental stewardship, health, safety, communications, and public relations.

Along with Ramstein, four other military installations were awarded the CINC Installation Excellence Award for being best in their service:

  • U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
  • Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
  • Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
  • Defense Distribution Center Susquehanna, Pa.