Army's top deployers receive excellence award

CML Army Chemical Review, Oct, 2004 by Henry H. Johnson

Lieutenant General Claude Christianson, Deputy Chief of Staff, G4 (Logistics) (G4), presented 23 awards at the 2004 Army Deployment Excellence Award (DEA) Ceremony held 22 June 2004 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Washington, D.C.

The Army Chief of Staff established the DEA program in 2000 to recognize Active Army, Reserve, and National Guard units and installations for outstanding deployment accomplishments. The DEA program is open to any unit or installation that has deployed or supported a training or contingency deployment during the competition year (1 December through 30 November). Units and installations can participate in the following categories:

* Large unit (battalion and above).

* Small unit (company and below).

* Supporting unit.

* Installation.

* Operational deployment.

Eligible units and installations participating in the first four categories submit self-nomination packets to their major command (MACOM). The MACOM forwards the top packet selections to an Army level evaluation board who determines the semifinalists in each category. A team of deployment specialists then visits the selected units and/ or installations, validates their deployment practices, and determines the best entry in each DEA category. The unit scores from the board and the site validation visit are combined and sent to the G4 for approval and winner announcement.

The operational-deployment category (introduced in 2003) involves units deploying in support of missions like the Global War on Terrorism, peacekeeping, rotations, and humanitarian relief.

* MACOMs may nominate specific units based on their history of deployment excellence. A team from the Deployment Process Modernization Office observes and scores the deployment (including the preparation and submission of deployment data).

* Units can contend for the large or small unit award.

* The submission of a nomination packet is not required, and the unit is not required to do anything other than deploy.

For additional information, visit the Deployment Process Modernization Office Web site www.deploy.eustis.army.mil/DEA/default.htm> to view or download the award evaluation criteria, checklists, and sample nomination packets.

Key Dates for the 2005 DEA

Competition period                 1 Dec 03-30 Nov 04

DEA operational on-site visits      1 Feb 04-9 Feb 05

MACOM nominations                           31-Jan-05
submitted to DEA board

DEA board convention                     14-25 Feb 05

Semifinalist list forwarded to DA            8-Mar-05

DA announcement of semifinalists            11-Mar-05

DEA validation teams                 15 Mar-15 Apr 05
on-site visits

List of winners forwarded to DA             19-Apr-05

DA announcement of winners                  22-Apr-05

Award presentation                           1-Jun-05

2004 DEA Award Recipients

Active Army, large    53d Movement Control Battalion (EAC), Fort
unit                  McPherson, Georgia Runner-up: 11th Signal
                      Brigade, Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Active Army, small    Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 7th
unit                  Transportation Group, Fort Eustis, Virginia
                      Runner-up: 469th Transportation Detachment, 24th
                      Transportation Battalion, Fort Eustis, Virginia

Active Army, support  842d Transportation Battalion, Beaumont, Texas
unit                  Runner-up: 831st Transportation Battalion, Port
                      of Salalah, Oman

Army installation     Fort Stewart, Georgia
                      Runner-up: Fort Bliss, Texas

Reserve, large unit   1192d Transportation Terminal Brigade, New
                      Orleans, Louisiana
                      Runner-up: 1394th Deployment Support Brigade,
                      Camp Pendleton, California

Reserve, small unit   Headquarters and Headquarters Company, United
                      States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological
                      Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
                      Runner-up: 1190th Deployment Support Team, 1190th
                      Deployment Support Brigade, Baton Rouge,
                      Louisiana

Reserve, support      2125th Garrison Support Unit, 82d Airborne
unit                  Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
                      Runner-up: 307th Quartermaster Battalion, Salt
                      Lake City, Utah

National Guard,       2d Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, Lynchburg,
large unit            Virginia
                      Runner-up: 1st Battalion, 162d Infantry Regiment,
                      Forest Grove, Oregon

National Guard,       82d Rear Operations Center, Lake Oswego, Oregon
small unit            Runner-up: Company B, 52d Engineer Battalion,
                      Lake Oswego, Oregon

National Guard,       1067th Transportation Company, Phoenixville,
support unit          Pennsylvania
                      Runner-up: Florida State Area Command

Operational           2d Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st
deployment, large     Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
unit

Operational           Charlie Company, 121st Signal Battalion, 1st
deployment, small     Infantry Division, Kitzingen, Germany
unit

Operational           Bravo Company, 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th
deployment, small     Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
unit