VAFB deemed 'Excellent' in all we do

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Nicole Poff
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Screams, applause and noisemakers echoed throughout the base auditorium when the Air Education and Training Command Inspector General team revealed the base's "excellent" overall rating Tuesday during the Vance ORI out brief.
Inspectors spent the past two weeks evaluating every aspect of Vance's day-to-day operating components from flying operations to base appearance, and Team Vance proved they exceed standards.
"I can't tell you just how proud I am ... I didn't need a grade to validate what a great team you are ... You validate it to me everyday," said Col. Bryan Benson, 71st Flying Training Wing commander, following the reading of the results.
Col. Bill Becker, AETC IG, began the official part of the out brief by awarding six individuals with an IG coin for superior performance during the IG inspection.
Those six individuals are:
Senior Airman Brandon Cloud, 71st Mission Support Group; Staff Sgt. Richard White, 71st MSG; Master Sgt. Barbara Krick, 71st MSG; Capt. Leah Cross, 71st Medical Group; Capt. Shaylor Billings, 71st Operations Group; and Gene Kornman, 71st OG.
Team Vance also received outstanding ratings within certain areas that proved they far exceeded mission requirements and had few, if any, deficiencies:
The 71st Flying Training Wing public affairs, wing plans and programs, operations plans offices and base appearance; The 71st Operations Group functional check flight; The 71st Mission Support Squadron's administration and reports flight missions; 71st Communications Squadron systems flight and plans and implementation flight; The 71st Medical Group aerospace physiology.
The 71st Comptroller Squadron also received an outstanding rating for their performance during the deployment exercise.
"I don't know that I have seen that many outstandings in an inspection like this," said Gen. Edward "Buster" Ellis, 19th Air Force commander. "I'm proud of you and I'm proud for you."