39th ABW wins two Air Force level awards

  • Published
  • By Lori Burling Alves
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs volunteer
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The 39th Air Base Wing recently won two Air Force-level awards. The two annual awards, the Air Force Surety Plaque and the Air Force Explosives Safety Plaque, are some of the highest awards a base can win for safety achievements. 

"We were so successful because of the commanders, supervisors and Airmen that are assigned here at Incirlik," said Master Sgt. Travis Wetzler, 39th ABW Safety team member and a key player in many of the missions that led to the awards. "It is not just a one-person show. All of the people involved have been at the top of their game for the past 18 months." 

Team Incirlik led many missions that contributed to both of the awards, according to Col. John Taylor, 39th Maintenance Group commander. But, he believes that two key points in winning the awards were the Weapons Safety team earning an excellent rating during the Surety Inspection last August, and prior to that inspection, a Surety Staff Assistance Visit that led to zero findings. 

"The NSI was the best inspection result for Incirlik in 12 years, and it has really set a bar in USAFE," said Colonel Taylor. 

The Air Force Explosives Safety Plaque recognizes units for outstanding achievements in explosives safety. A key example of the wing's high achievements was moving more than 500,000 munitions items off base to a host nation port -- the largest movement in seven years at Incirlik. 

"It took us less than three months for this mission," said Colonel Taylor. "Less than three months for a process that usually takes between six and eight months. And, we had zero safety incidents. That's really amazing. It's a testament to the people at this base. It really shows that they can perform under pressure and quickly." 

The munitions retrograde was a prime example of teamwork, most notably with the maintenance, security forces and safety teams. Safety members monitored the movement at all times to ensure zero incidents, while security forces members teamed with the Turkish Air Force Security Battalion to provide the on-base escort. 

"The smart work of our women and men never ceases to amaze me," said Maj. Bryan Gillespie, 39th Security Forces Squadron commander. "It's one thing to be an expert within your own functional area, but it's another thing to be a team player and make the entire wing successful." 

The safety team at Incirlik also instituted a detailed photo record of all radio frequency emitters on base -- an initiative that inspectors lauded as a best practice. 

"What we started with was outdated," said Sergean Wetzler, who recently won the Air Force Surety Safety Achievement Award. "This provided huge long-term savings for the base. It took about a month to put together, but now personnel can conduct routine checks on the emitters over the entire base within about three days." 

The Air Force Surety Plaque recognizes units for outstanding contributions to the USAFE surety system program. Earning this win, Team Incirlik created a fence-to-fence site planning initiative. This process included a detailed survey of 182 explosive sites on base, and ensured survivability of personnel and property if there was ever an explosive mishap. 

"This is an initiative than can take up to two years to be approved, but we did it in less than five months" said Sergeant Wetzler. "The ORM (Operational Risk Management) process drives the safety standards for site planning. ORM isn't new to the munitions community. It's something that we use on a day-to-day basis and helped us succeed in the site planning task." 

The Inspector General also rated Incirlik's Dull Sword and Certified Equipment program flawless. The program ensures the right tools and equipment are used and deficiencies for the equipment are properly identified at the Air Force level. 

Colonel Taylor said both awards are an example of how teamwork can help missions succeed. 

"Safety is a culture of making smart choices on and off duty," he said. "We're fortunate to have so many dedicated professionals from all over the base that come together to make up such a wonderful team."