5th FSS: Best support squadron in MAJCOM

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica McConnell
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The 5th Force Support Squadron here received the Major General Eugene L. Eubank award, a Major Command-level award, for best small category force support squadron.

The squadron is praised for its many accomplishments throughout the year, most notably, those efforts displayed during the Minot 2011 flood - a flood that displaced some 1,100 Team Minot Airmen and their families.

During the 2011 Minot flood, the squadron was credited as being the wing commander's number one advisor in flood response. Actions taken by the squadron include establishing and manning the Emergency Family Assistance Control Center, a center established during the flood to assist families in need of shelter or other assistance.

The squadron is also credited for initiating the stop movement order, an order which kept inbound Airmen from moving to Minot because of the minimal housing available. Essentially, this order ensured Airmen moving here would only be doing so because they were mission-essential, whereas others would be diverted to other bases.

The squadron also organized force support squadron flood relief teams, all of which dedicated more than 460 hours of home demolition, clean-up and rebuilding - supporting 11 families in need. The squadron coordinated more than 400 evacuation orders, 60 diversions, and 177 gains, all of which were housed with zero degradation.

During the flood, the force support squadron expanded Treasure Island's hours to serve as a free stress reliever for more than 1,000 families affected by the flood.

Although this squadron was an irreplaceable form of help during the flood, it would be amiss to not acknowledge its many other accomplishments it has seen throughout the year.

The squadron scrutinized more than 600 reenlistment and extension contracts with no returns from the Air Force Personnel Center. This ensured more than $50,000 in on-time payments.

The squadron also flawlessly organized the event called Operation HEROES, which required the coordination of more than 25 agencies and 168 volunteers. The event imitated a deployment with the younger children being the deployers. This event was held to educate younger children on what it means to deploy. The event was flawlessly executed and hosted more than 375 attendees.

The support squadron also manages the bases' tuition assistance program, as well as the $3.1 million budget. They reached out to the base population and increased Community College of the Air Force graduates by five percent.

The squadron values and supports all of its customers. Some of the ways in which it has supported them is by providing snow removal service to base housing residents, even going so far as to offer it at a discounted rate for those who were deployed.

Many Airmen and their families have acknowledged how helpful the support squadron is and has been, especially during times of crises. It is because of their great committment to service that officials chose this squadron for this prestigious award.