Director's Excellence Award for Special Achievement Award Cat: Planned Single Event Winner: MAJCOM AFI 35-101, Chapter 13
Key Points to Writing Unit Awards WRITE!!! The more you do it, the better you get. Ask for HELP, the only person looking out for #1 is you. The only person looking out for your airmen/unit is YOU! Get all awards packages from the unit! Use a spell checker.  F7 works real fast in MS Word. Use various writing resources like Merriam-Webster Online to improve your vocabulary.

The following Example has been taken out of a IMT document.  I have changed mission information to protect myself and the people I have received the information from.  I will attempt to give a little insight to the entire process if I know it.

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This award won for a large wing.  An important tool I have learned from this award and other group awards is the individual awards through out the unit.  The more time spent polishing them, researching and writing them, reaps huge rewards for group awards such as this.  

OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAM:
- Anticipated communications blitz when {BASE} selected as official AF site for 2003 Centennial of Powered
  Flight; leveraged entire year's worth of activities to get AF story to literally hundreds of thousands! 
- Delivered non-stop events for {City} to brag about; results snowballed; Ohio and {City}re-adopted {BASE}
  "birthplace of aviation;" highlighted AF achievements in community meetings, re-enactments, extravaganzas! 
- Achieved breathtaking coverage, quantum leap in support by media, local, national, international communities 
- Reinvigorated base, community, country's pride in aeronautical achievements since days of Wright Brothers 
- Garnered highest praise for AF, base from President Bush during his 4th of July visit attended by 20,000 
- A boon to local recruiters: "that high visibility really got AF message out, helped us meet our goals!" said 3llth 

RESEARCH AND PLANNING: 
- Developed thorough communications plan coordinating all base internal, community, media relations activities 
- Began months in advance; tapped into planning meetings downtown, around country; targeted events to key
  audiences; created messages, products; lined up critical manpower support--active duty, civilian, Reservists 
  -- Coordinated with USAF Museum, 445 AW, AFMC PAs to ensure everyone promoted Centennial messages 
  -- Prepared, disseminated special brochures, fact sheets, news releases, briefings, base newspaper inserts 
  -- Developed special web page; illuminated historical context, allowed public to track events on a daily basis 
  -- Mastered history of Wright Brothers feats for dozens of media, public briefings, tying those feats to modern 
      achievements in AF research, development, acquisition, Air and Space Expeditionary Force operations 
- PA Lt chosen as base deputy coordinator, led planning for all activities associated with Air Power 2003, first 
  open house on base in 30 years: aerial events, program, web site, releases, speeches, security, parking issues 

PROGRAM EXECUTION AND EVALUATION: 
- Provided 24/7 support to all entities hosting activities: National Centennial of Flight Commission, AF Centennial
  of Flight Team, Inventing Flight, National Park Service, {City}Aviation Heritage Commission 
- Used total force to incorporate, disseminate command messages bridging early aeronautical feats to critical need 
  for newly-developed AF capabilities in coalition's global War on Terrorism future global operations 
- Entire staff volunteered nights and weekends to support non-stop media, community events on base and off 
- Despite near-tornadic weather, Air Power 2003 attended by 15,000+; received $34,000+ in free television 
  coverage in area of 1/2 million people; $20,000 in free programs, numerous public service announcements 
  -- Generated more than two hours of talk-radio coverage, 50 web site placements, six front-page news stories
      with photos in {City}Daily News--circulation 400,000; many accolades from community, base population 
- Organized briefers for 17-day Inventing Flight venue downtown; Senator Glenn, flag officers, 1,000s attended 
- Supported 4-day {City}Air Show extravaganza: one of largest in world, drawing more than 160,000 visitors and
  all three North American jet demonstration teams: coverage of AF participation was glowing 
- Responded to hundreds of media queries; arranged dozens of visits to Huffman Prairie Flying Field; explained to
  everyone from Wall Street Journal to BBC base's ties to Wright Brothers, significance of current operations 
- Provided support for White House press corps during President Bush's 4 July visit celebrating Centennial 
- With AF Association, led effort to commission, dedicate full-scale sculpture of first military airplane as a 
  tribute to all who contributed to technical superiority of USAF; event attended by state/local legislators/media 

INNOVATIVENESS OF PROGRAM: 
- Most thorough integration, leveraging of base, community resources ever seen in past 40 years 
- Turned even the most routine of events, the signing by AFMC 4-star of an agreement to co-sponsor an Aviation 
  Theme Study, rededication of Huffman Prairie Flying Field, etc., into major AF, Park Service media events 
- Secured AF-sponsored NASCAR, Cross into the Blue, and AF Reserve Above and Beyond Jet Car for Air
  Power 2003 open house to reach area young people, and 50 Adventures for Wish Kids and their families 
- Researched and designed Centennial logo used at base events, on souvenirs; these AF messages will last!