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Shaw wins Meritorious Unit Award

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Vincent A. Mouzon
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Shaw's host unit, the 20th Fighter Wing, and the 609th Air Communications Squadron have earned Meritorious Unit Awards, the Commander of Air Combat Command, General John Corley, recently announced this week. 

"The 20 Fighter Wing's direct support of our Nation's effort in the CENTCOM region coupled with the recent performance during the 2009 ACC Phase II ORI is what made this award possible," exclaimed Col. Joseph Guastella, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing. "I'm extremely proud of the hard work our Airmen and Civilians have done over the last two years to earn this!" 

The 20th Fighter Wing received this award for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the United States in direct support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2009. 

Among its accomplishments, officials said, the 20th FW:
· Deployed over 8,000 Airmen worldwide to support operations in the Pacific, Central, North American, Southern, European, and Africa areas of responsibility
· Flew 25,502 hours with an 84 percent mission capable rate, higher than any other F-16 wing in the combat air forces. 

It's been eight years since 20th Fighter wing has received its last meritorious unit award. 

"The staff and the 609th ACOMS are the most awesome team of professionals I've ever had the privilege of working with," said Colonel Harry Blanke 609th Air Communications Squadron commander. "This award was richly deserved by the men and women of the squadron." 

The 609th Air Communications Squadron received this award for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the United States in direct support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009. 

Among its accomplishments, officials said, the 609th ACOMS:
· Delivered exceptional communications that contributed to the successful completion of 135,000 warfighting sorties.
· Completed hundreds of communications projects totaling over $55 million 

Airmen assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing and the 609th Air Communications Squadron during the award period should report to their servicing military personnel flight to validate entitlement of the meritorious unit award. 

A copy of the special orders which includes a list of subordinate units authorized to share in the award will be available on the HQ ACC/A1KF Force Support Management community of practice Web site. 

The meritorious unit award ribbon is worn before the Air Force outstanding unit award and subsequent awards should be denoted by oak leaf clusters. For more information about the meritorious unit award check out the fact sheet on the Air Force Personnel Web site http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7784.