916th Maintenance Group: Second to none

  • Published
  • By Maj. Shannon Mann
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  They aren't much for tooting their own horn.

In fact, their recent award almost went unrecognized by the wing, but when it's this big you can't overlook it.

For the second time in two years the 916th Maintenance Group won the Fourth Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award, Medium Aircraft Maintenance Category.

"This is a first ever in all of 4th Air Force," said Col. Ken Bunting, 916th Maintenance Group commander. "The maintainers here competed against 15 other maintenance groups and they won taking top honors. That speaks for itself."

The award package covers a year of amazing accomplishments that included generating more than 9,500 flying hours with an 84 percent mission capable rating. This accomplishment alone is unsurpassed in Air Force Reserve Command.

916th maintainers supported a major hurricane evacuation in the midst of three deployments and constant support of the Homeland Security mission. One of these deployments included being one of the first maintenance packages on the ground in Spain to support Operation Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector providing NATO support for Libya.

In addition, the 916th Maintenance Group excelled during an operational readiness inspection by ensuring eight aircraft had a 100% on-time departure and even earning a nod from Air Mobility Command inspectors by receiving an outstanding team award for the Composite Tool Kit team.

They did all this and more while highlighting the amazing capability of total force integration that has become an integral part of the wing since 2008.

"I hope it means to each of the 916th Air Refueling Wing and 911th Air Refueling Squadron maintainers a validation of their hard work, dedication to duty and mission, and the extreme professionalism that each possesses and executes here," said Bunting. "I applaud them all for what they do every day and every night, rain or shine, snow or blow for each maintainer here makes the impossible, possible."