Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst has been chosen as the Navy’s Northeast Region nominee for the coveted Commander-in-Chief’s (CINC) Installation Excellence Award for 2005.
Lakehurst’s selection this year represents the fifth year in a row it has been selected to compete at this level for the award. Established in 1984, the CINC Installation Excellence Award recognizes the outstanding efforts of personnel in the operation and maintenance of 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.
Captain L. Bret Gordon, Commanding Officer of NAES Lakehurst stated, “I cannot convey in words the pride I feel in the daily accomplishments of the people of this great base. We believe our selection is a true reflection of the extraordinary spirit of teamwork that has been the cornerstone of Lakehurst’s 85-year heritage of service to the Navy, the Department of Defense and the Nation.”

The mission of Lakehurst is to conduct Navy, Joint-Service and international defense advanced research and development programs in support of air-platform operations worldwide. The base also provides training areas for Navy and other federal and state agencies in support of national defense priorities.

A 2005 Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) recommendation to form the 42,000-acre Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst elevated the 2004 Joint Installation Partnership (JIP) between Lakehurst and adjoining installations McGuire AFB and Fort Dix into law. This law will create DoD’s only contiguous tri-service joint base in the nation.

Lakehurst continues to be the home to the Air Force Eagle Flag exercises, training military from all services to set up, operate and defend expeditionary airfield support facilities. Lakehurst also continues to support Unmanned Aerial Vehicle test programs with the Army testing an unmanned airship as an Airborne Communications Extender to be used in Iraq.

The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) Life Cycle Support Facility made significant progress in 2005 with the completion of all major structural concrete work. This $20.5M prototype facility will be the cornerstone for the next generation of aircraft carriers. The facility is scheduled for commissioning and testing to begin in 2007/08.

In 2005 construction began on two new major facilities at Lakehurst: the $4.5M Fire House which will result in the consolidation of two facilities and greatly reduce the response time and staffing requirements of the Fire Department, and the building of the $2.1M headquarters facility for the Army Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion.

Lakehurst leads the way in environmental stewardship, for the fifth time in five years Lakehurst was awarded the New Jersey Environmental Excellence Award for Healthy Ecosystems for the restoration and enhancement of grassland bird habitats. The base also increased the purchase of recyclable products by 27%, achieved a 60% solid waste diversion rate, exceeding all federal and state requirements, reduced water usage by 11%, and reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by 43%.

The base’s goal to integrate safety into all areas of operation resulted in being the Secretary of the Navy’s selection for the 2005 Safety Excellence Award for showing an 80% reduction of mishaps over the past 10 years. Lakehurst also was awarded the Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health 2005 Superior Performance Award and the Fire Department received the 2005 International Association of Fire Chief’s Fire Service Award for Excellence. Also, the base received the International Association of Chief’s of Police Award fro the 2004 Enforcement Challenge.

The employees at Lakehurst have also done an exceptional job at supporting the local community by participating in the Read Across America program, school career days, Earth Day events, a military academy day hosted by then Senator Jon Corzine, a Thanksgiving Gift Basket fundraiser and a Giving Tree Holiday Gift collection program for underprivileged children.

The Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst is a joint base with a heritage of service and serving as a model for the future. By being selected as the Northeast Region’s choice for outstanding Naval facility in 2005, Lakehurst continues to demonstrate its imaginative and innovative management actions that promote support to the fleet and the Department of Defense through enhancements in readiness, quality of life, quality of service and business processes.