718th AMXS bags AF-level award

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  One of Kadena's units was recently recognized as best in the Air Force. 

The 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron earned the Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award for effective management of its resources and its contributions to the mission. 

"What this award means to us is we've successfully accomplished the mission the Air Force assigned us to the best of our ability with the resources available to us," said Maj. Vincent Casquejo, 718th AMXS operations officer. 

Squadron members frequently travel throughout the Pacific area of responsibility and beyond to ensure the mission is done. They have participated in exercises such as Cope Tiger and Commando Sling, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. 

"Teamwork within each individual aircraft maintenance unit and between the AMU's is really what got us here," said Major Casquejo. "The units go all around the world doing the Air Force mission and what we try to capture in this award is what our folks were able to accomplish in spite of the high operations tempo." 

Earning the prestigious award speaks volumes about the squadron members who make the mission happen on a daily basis, according to Tech. Sgt. Curtis Coffman, 961st Aircraft Maintenance Unit flightline production expediter. 

"Our teamwork is the biggest factor [to winning the award]," said Sergeant Coffman. "We have an excellent group of people and we do what needs to be done to get the mission accomplished." 

Teamwork is an especially prominent trademark within the squadron that specializes in maintaining three different aircraft: the KC-135 Stratotanker, HH-60G Pave Hawk and the E-3 Sentry. 

"Because we maintain three different aircraft we have three different cultures, so fostering a sense of togetherness and teamwork is always the challenge," said Major Casquejo. "But the great thing this award gives us is a common sense of identity and accomplishment because while each AMU has individual accomplishments, whether it's back-to- back deployments or multiple exercises, this award is one thing everybody can hang their hat on." 

Squadron leadership said they recognize the driving force behind the award and the squadron's reputation for getting the job done. 

"I think [the key to the award] is the people who no kidding put hands on the aircraft every day," said 1st Lt. Lauren Calhoun, 909th AMU officer-in-charge. "They know their job very well and are able to diagnose problems and come up with solutions. That is a huge part of what gets the aircraft out every day." 

Although the award is specifically given to the 718th AMXS, squadron members as well as the squadron's commander believe the entire 18th Wing should claim ownership of the award. 

"A squadron getting an Air Force level award is kind of like a football player winning the Heisman Trophy: one player gets the recognition but the team made it all possible," said Lt. Col. Kurt Kolch, 718th AMXS commander. "The same is true for the 718th AMXS. We could not have achieved what we did without the outstanding support of everyone in the 18th Wing, from our operations squadron customers and our fellow maintenance squadrons to the 18th Mission Support Group, 18th Civil Engineering Group and the 18th Medical Group." 

Squadron members know very well the bar has been set high, encouraging them to continue working under the core value "Excellence in all we do," according to Sergeant Coffman.

"The bar has been set for us so we need to focus on staying above the standard and continue doing great work," he said.