News

Hammering a WIN

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Madelyn McCullough
  • 446th Airlift Wing

Many changes are made across the wing in leadership, protocol and strategy. One of these changes brings a new opportunity for recognition for all 446th Airlift Wing units.

The Wing Improvement Now Award for Excellence, or WIN, grounds its roots in the 446th Airlift Wing inspection and process improvement offices. The goal behind the award is to recognize units for their efforts in program improvement and to motivate members to embrace the new Air Force Inspection System.

The first recipient of the award, the 446th Security Forces Squadron, earned the WIN award by working with the inspections office to receive credit for, evaluate, and turn in a report for a training event.

Criteria for the award is based on 13 different items across four categories. The four sections include Self-Assessment, Inspections and Exercises, Enterprise Value Stream Analysis and Continuous Process Improvement Projects, and Lessons Learned. Each section must have a minimum score of one.

“We grade everyone on this criteria and tally the numbers up at the end of the month,” said Maj. Eric Hodges, 446th AW inspections director. “Then, we tally the monthly numbers up at the end of the quarter.”

Units can receive the WIN award both quarterly and yearly. Squadrons who earn the quarterly award will receive MWR tickets to local events or museums, as well as a roving trophy. This trophy can be displayed in the winning unit’s common space until another recipient is announced.

“We wanted this award program to give individuals something tangible, as well as boost the morale of the group,” said Schultz. “That’s why we made it a combination award.”

The yearly version of the award will follow a similar benchmark.

 “At the end of the year, we will tally up all the points for the annual award winner,” Hodges said. “This award will not be based on the quarterly winners but rather a total of the unit’s points throughout the year. This means that comes in second place can still win the annual award if the total points for the year is higher than everyone else’s. The annual winner will be the unit that maintains their program all year long.”

The annual award recipient will be recognized at the 446th AW Annual Awards Banquet in April.

 “We created this because there was a lack of momentum in our programs, and we wanted to see our programs be more successful,” said Lt. Col. Rebecca Schultz, 446th AW Process Manager.

Schultz and the inspections team worked to align their program efforts with the 446th Airlift Wing’s strategic alignment and deployment program.

“We are creating follow through for things Airmen are already doing,” said Senior Master Sgt. Nicole Carman, 446th AW inspections superintendent. “This includes items such as after-action reports, lessons learned, and more. It’s a way to highlight great work.”

 “We want to value each individual’s input,” Carman added. “It’s not just a couple of people in the unit who make it happen; it’s a couple of people who document the good things that everybody does on a daily basis.”