The 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, are among the winners of Secretary of Defense Field-level Maintenance Awards for 2008, the Pentagon announced Aug. 4. These awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in military equipment and weapon systems maintenance. The Hurlburt group was one of two winners across the services in the large-size unit category, while the Aviano squadron was one of two medium-sized units recognized. The awards will be presented on Oct. 29 in Denver at the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards banquet.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.