Hurlburt Field unit wins maintenance award for second year in a row

HURLBURT FIELD — The 2015 winner of the Phoenix Award for Maintenance Excellence is the 801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field, the Department of Defense announced.

The award annually designates the best maintenance unit out of that year's six Secretary of Defense Field-Level Maintenance Award winners.

In fiscal year 2014, the Hulburt unit's maintenance actions produced more than 1,200 sorties and 3,500 flying hours, more than 28 percent of the 1st Special Operations Wing's mission.

Heavily engaged in Overseas Contingency Operations, the unit facilitated safe transportation and recovery of three battle-damaged CV-22 aircraft valued at $267 million for subsequent depot repair. In addition, the unit achieved a deployed mission capable rate that exceeded the command standard by 24 percent.

The 801st authored 328 engineer requests resulting in modifications that saved over $8 million and 2,000 labor hours and produced mission capable assets an average 33 percent faster than similarly equipped units accomplishing major aircraft phase inspection and repair.

The unit also won the 2014 Phoenix Award for maintenance.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hurlburt Field unit wins maintenance award for second year in a row