The 18th CEG leads award-winning unit Published April 29, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Every civil engineer unit thinks they are the best, but only one can say 'they are the best' - when they are awarded the coveted Society of American Military Engineers Curtin Award. This year the 18th Civil Engineer Group earned that honor. A small group of representatives and Brig. Gen. Brett Williams, 18th Wing commander, accepted the prestigious award along with other Air Force-level flight and individual awards at the annual Air Force Engineer ceremony in Washington D.C., recently. The host of the award ceremony, Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg, presented the group the 2009 Maj. Gen. Robert H. Curtin Award for most outstanding civil engineer unit in the Air Force, the Best Energy Conservation Award, and the Maj. Gen. Clifton D. Wright Award for the most outstanding operations flight in the Air Force. Mr. Randy Kamura was named the most outstanding CE Civilian Manager, and Donald Anderson the most outstanding CE Civilian Technician in the Air Force. Commanded by Col. Richard Jarvis, the group is comprised of 1,600 personnel, military and host nation employees, from the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron and the 718th Civil Engineer Squadron. The list of accomplishments for the group is impressive. From overseeing the largest concentration of military housing in the entire Air Force, to managing the completion of the new Ryukyu Middle School, to initiating projects that will save the wing millions of dollars in energy costs over the next 20 years, the 18th CEG kept the base running and able to support the 18th Wing's combat mission. The 18th CEG contributed to the wing's warfighting readiness by conducting combat skills training in support of deployments to Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, deploying its members worldwide in support of contingency operations and providing critical Ability to Survive and Operate training to wing members in preparation for the March 2008 operational readiness inspection. The group boosted the morale and quality of life of base residents by completing upgrades and improvement projects on the airfield, in the dormitories, work centers, child development centers and Okuma, among many others. "The reason for the group's success is the making of a strong partnership of both service members and civilian contractors," said Colonel Jarvis. "The plethora of awards was won thanks to the hard work of the civil engineers that will hopefully continue Kadena's winning streak when choosing next year's award winners."