Georgia National Guard wins top award
April 8, 2013
Today at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the U.S. Army chief of staff has selected the Georgia Army National Guard as the overall winner in the 2013 Army Communities of Excellence awards competition for the National Guard Special Category.
"This is a very proud day for our state, and it is a great tribute to the thousands of citizen soldiers who serve Georgia and the United States throughout the world," Deal said. "This award reflects the hard work, integrity and commitment to excellence that marks the men and women of the Georgia National Guard and the leadership of Adjutant Gen. Jim Butterworth and Brigadier Gen. Joe Jarrard. I congratulate them on behalf of a grateful state. You have served us with distinction and you highly deserve this honor."
The award recognizes the Georgia Army National Guard as having the best business practices and dedication to efficiency, effectiveness and customer care as compared to their 53 state and territory peers. The prize includes $300,000 to be spent in installation upgrades to enhance the support given to the soldiers, families, retirees and civilian employees who work there. It also goes toward improving the morale and the quality of life for guardsmen.
"ACOE helps these installations focus on cost-conscious and performance-based activities, and that contributes directly to a resilient, healthy and mission-ready Army," said Army chief of staff, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.
"We are proud of our soldiers and the hard work they do," Adjutant Gen. Jim Butterworth said. "Now the rest of the country will see us shine a little extra because of this tremendous honor."
About the ACOE
The Army Community of Excellence program uses the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program Criteria for Performance Excellence – an internationally recognized integrated management system – to evaluate the competing installations. The criteria are the basis for performance excellence recognition programs worldwide and in federal agencies including the U.S. Army, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Participants are judged against this common standard and not against each other.