Joint Base Andrews, Md., has won the 2015 Air Force Installation Excellence Award, announced service officials on Monday. “This award is a testament to the seamless integration of our six mission partners and more than 80 tenant units,” said Col. Brad Hoagland, commander of Andrews’ 11th Wing. “We’re thankful for their partnership and the support of the local community,” he added. As part of the award, Andrews will receive $700,000 to invest in quality-of-life projects on base, states the service’s release. The Air Force in November 2014 named Andrews and RAF Lakenheath, Britain, the finalists for the award. A selection board visited both bases in January, before making a final recommendation to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. As the Air Force’s top installation, Andrews will now compete for the Defense Department’s 2015 Commander in Chief’s Installation Excellence Award.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.