LAKEHURST, NJ - - The Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES) Lakehurst has been selected by the Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld as the 2004 Commander in Chief’s Installation Excellence Award Winner.

Established in 1984, this prestigious presidential level award recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations worldwide. The award recognizes one installation from each Military Service and Defense Logistics Agency that has made the best use of available resources to accomplish its assigned mission and has focused on innovative management actions to increase productivity of its work force as well as enhance the quality of life for personnel.

Along with Lakehurst, other winners for 2004 include: Fort Stewart, Hinesville, GA; Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, San Diego, CA; Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, CA and the Defense Supply Center, Columbus, OH.

CAPTAIN Mark L. Bathrick, Commander of NAES Lakehurst stated, “We are deeply honored and humbled at our selection for this prestigious award as the top Navy installation world-wide for 2004. We believe our selection is a reflection of the extraordinary spirit of teamwork and innovation that has been the cornerstone of Lakehurst’s 83-year heritage of service to the Navy, the Department of Defense and the Nation. As the recognized leader in Joint Basing and Joint Installation Partnerships, we look to build upon this notable recognition as we continue to develop these and other innovative mission enhancing and cost reducing initiatives.”

Lakehurst’s chief mission is to conduct advanced research and development programs in support of air-platform operations worldwide. Lakehurst also provides training areas for Navy and other Federal and State agencies in support of national defense priorities. As the largest Naval Aviation facility in the Northeast, located on 7430 acres in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, and sharing a common border with Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, the three
bases create a unique 42,000 acre contiguous tri-service military reservation in the active Northeast corridor. This Joint Installation Partnership (JIP) arrangement allows for facility sharing and interoperability, with minimum encroachment potential - a one-of-a-kind situation within the Department of Defense. Based on these assets, Lakehurst, this year, became home to the new Air Force Eagle Flag exercises, which train troops from all services to establish, operate and defend expeditionary airfields.

In 2003, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS) testing began at Lakehurst, a technology that may reduce catapult energy use by 79%. Lakehurst’s engineers won the Navy’s E-Gov award in 2003 for development of the innovative AutoREAD system, which allows electronic record-keeping during inspection of the arresting gear system on aircraft carriers. AutoREAD may save $2 million annually per carrier.