Maj. Gen. Darrell Guthrie, commander of the 88th Readiness Division, hosted a virtual awards ceremony Dec. 17, 2020, to recognize the efforts of the team at Area Maintenance Support Activity 80, Spokane, Washington, for selection as runner up for the Chief of Staff of the Army FY20 Army Award for Maintenance Excellence.

David Fyfe, 88th RD deputy G4 and director of logistics, explained that the AAME has recognized excellence in maintenance operations since 1982. The goal of the award is to improve and sustain field maintenance readiness.

The awards plaque was presented to the entire shop along with two coins from the Fort Lee University Commandant, Ordnance Branch School. The plaque and coins were accepted by shop supervisor Laura Martin and will be displayed at the facility.

“Congratulations. I know what you’ve done is not easy,” Guthrie said. “What you do is the most obvious thing a Readiness Division can do to increase the readiness of the units we support. What you do is so incredibly important.”

Guthrie asked for a show of hands from the dozen or so shop members participating in the ceremony of who was also a military technician. Almost everyone raised their hands.

“You are a true example of ‘twice the citizen.’ You support units and then serve in an Army Reserve unit to be ready to go where the Army sends you,” Guthrie said.

Fyfe acknowledged that “it takes a team to put the packet together.” 88th RD commanding general coins were presented to Laura Martin, Allen Whitman, James Anderson, Patrick Prior and John Young for pulling the nomination packet together.

“The packet is representative of the tremendous work you’re doing,” Guthrie said.

He went on to challenge the team to “look for ways to do things better. In achieving maintenance excellence, you have great insight in how to things better than you can share” across the enterprise.