38 EIG reaps Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Published Sept. 7, 2007 By Chuck Paone ESC Public Affairs HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- The Air Force announced on August 23 that Electronic Systems Center's 38th Engineering Installation Group, Tinker AFB, Okla., is among its list of Air Force Outstanding Unit Award recipients. The award, for performance covering a two-year period between Jan. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2006, results from numerous examples of outstanding achievement. The group engineers, plans and installs communication infrastructure across the globe for the Air Force and other Department of Defense and U.S. government users. Comprised of approximately 370 professional engineers, contract specialists and project managers, the group frequently deploys members throughout the world, including into the current Central Command Area of Responsibility. "I have personally visited with many of the 38th's fine team members both at Tinker and in deployed locations, and I have witnessed first-hand the outstanding work they do and the professionalism they display," said Lt. Gen. Chuck Johnson, ESC Commander. "This recognition is very much deserved, and I'm gratified and proud to see this great group receive it." The 38th was cited as the "only DoD unit capable of engineering and planning infrastructure implementation globally - in-garrison and in deployed (settings)." And it was specifically recognized for demonstrating "expertise for two major operating bases and five collocated bases in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility." Among the many other accomplishments that led to this award, the 38th: - Was a major contributor in helping to develop the extensive Air Force A6 (Information Management) communications plans; - Completed 170 communication projects; - Completed 84 command, control, communication, computers and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance projects in 63 locations worldwide; - Accomplished 27 cable projects for seven Air Force major commands, two U.S. combatant commands and the U.S. State Department, resulting in non-stop connectivity; - Documented over 708 projects for communications infrastructure, spanning sixteen bases and totaling more than 90 million; - Engineered Air Force Special Operations Command information infrastructure build-up to support fielding of CV-22 Osprey and deployment of new C-130 airframes, and also determined requirements, planned and estimated costs for hardware associated with increased bandwidth needs; and - Obligated $50 million supporting critical, sensitive installations including those in Kuwait, Baghdad, Iraq, and Kabul, Afghanistan. The Air Force also noted the group for other awards garnered during the two-year period, including the 2005 ESC Outstanding Specialized Contracting Unit award; and the 2005 AFMC Rawlings (small communications team) award for engineering support provided to Keesler AFB, Miss., in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "I'm constantly amazed by the expertise, professionalism, and the broad scale and highly complex missions which the men and women of the 38th perform routinely day to day," said Col. Michael Niezgoda, the group's commander. "There is no other unit like this in the Air Force. We have engineers, project managers, and contracting officers on temporary duty all over the globe to include the CENTCOM AOR at any particular moment providing communications support to the war fighters. This is truly an outstanding organization serving a vital mission. I'm proud to be part of it." CONTACT: Chuck Paone, (781) 377-5078, charles.paone@hanscom.af.mil