HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The 66th Force Support Squadron here has been awarded the 2020 Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Award for Air Force Materiel Command.
The command win marks the squadron’s sixth consecutive title as the best force support unit in the small base category, representing the priorities Eubank placed on the morale and welfare of America’s fighting forces to further the overall mission.
“It’s always wonderful to see our squadron efforts recognized,” said Bill Charlton, 66 FSS director. “Our people work hard every day, but they did even more so to keep our doors open during COVID-19.”
Charlton credited the squadron’s success over the year to its managers’ and flight chiefs’ flexibility and creativity on how to safely execute morale programs, like Recharge 4 Resiliency, as well as supporting manpower requirements.
Maj. Joshua Caragan, 66 FSS deputy director, and the command’s Force Support Field Grade Officer of the Year, said the military personnel flight here was one of the few that remained operational throughout the year, and played a crucial role in supporting Hanscom’s civilian workforce.
“We developed a drive-through in-processing system so we could continually on-board civilian employees and ensured our dependent and retiree community could renew their ID cards,” said Caragan.
The 66 FSS also maintained the only operating government passport center in the region, according to Caragan, directly supporting federal and sister services across New England.
“It can be interesting to see how people react when things get challenging, but we have a great team who know exactly how to step up when we need them,” said Caragan.
The 66 FSS, and Caragan, will go on to compete at the Air Force-level.