Columbus, Ohio - Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today applauded the Ohio Army National Guard for being selected as the 2009 Army Communities of Excellence Special Category Winner for the Fiscal Year 2009 by the Department of the U.S. Army.
"Adjutant General Wayt is an exceptional leader, who has shown a strong dedication to strengthening one of the finest National Guards in the nation," Strickland said. "I applaud his service, along with all members of the Ohio Army National Guard, and I congratulate them on winning this prestigious award."
The Army Communities of Excellence (ACOE) Award recognizes the Ohio Army National Guard's (OHARNG) effort in improving their overall performance and capabilities.
Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, Ohio adjutant general, accepted the award at a May 5 Pentagon ceremony.
The Fiscal Year 2009 award marks the third time Ohio has won the competition. Winning the 2006 award prohibited the organization from competing again until this year.
The ACOE program uses the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality criteria, which provides a framework for in-depth organizational assessment and measurements for improvement.
"When we began this process in 2002, we were seeking ways to improve as an organization," Wayt said. "The Baldrige criteria provided us the vehicle by which we can continually improve our processes."
In addition to the award, the Ohio Army National Guard will receive $750,000 for use toward improving the "quality of life" for the full-time employees and Soldiers of the OHARNG.
Past monetary awards have been used to purchase defibrillators, audio/visual and exercise equipment for National Guard readiness centers across the state, as well as fund the Remember My Service campaign, which provides each Soldier who has deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism with a DVD commemorating their unit's overseas service.
The Ohio Army National Guard successfully competed against more than 25 other National Guard states and installations to win the "Special Category."
"As we celebrate this achievement, we are reminded that being a world-class organization is a continuous journey," Wayt said. "This award recognizes the hard work and efforts of every Soldier in the OHARNG and our goal of maintaining an excellent, high-quality organization."
The OHARNG's ACOE submission was evaluated by a team of Army Performance Improvement Criteria (APIC) certified examiners. The submission explains how the OHARNG functions and presents the results achieved using recognized business practices.
The APIC examiners evaluated and scored the submission in the seven APIC Categories (leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, human resources, process management and business results).
Based upon the examiners recommendation and review of Ohio Army National Guard practices, Ohio was one of three states selected for a site visit.
In 2002, the OHARNG submitted its initial ACOE self assessment and was named the "Rookie of the Year." Since 2002 the Ohio National Guard has been recognized as the NGB's overall winner in 2003, 2004 and 2006. In 2005, the organization was awarded First Place in the Gold Division as the NGB's entrant to compete in the Department of the Army competition.