The Department of Defense announced the 2016 winner of the Phoenix Award for Maintenance Excellence on Dec. 6 at this year's secretary of defense maintenance awards ceremony. The Phoenix Award is presented annually to designate the single best maintenance unit out of six Secretary of Defense Field-Level Maintenance Award winners.
This year's recipient of the Phoenix Award is the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. In FY 2015, the unit accomplished superior aircraft maintenance while partnering with 14 allied countries and more than 12,000 personnel in support of North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Operation Resolute Support to train, advise, and assist Afghan security forces and coalition partners. Furthermore, in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel, the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron displayed its combat superiority when it generated 61,000 flying hours during the execution of 18,000 combat sorties one of which destroyed the largest weapons cache in Afghanistan's Parwan Province history. The 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s performance unquestionably demonstrates the unit's worthiness in being recognized as this year's best field-level maintenance unit in the Department of Defense.