CE Ops flight named AF best Published April 17, 2007 By 2nd Lt. Korry Leverett 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Air Force officials recently announced that Malmstrom has been selected as the winner of the Maj. Gen. Clifton D. Wright award for Best Operations Flight in the Air Force. The Maj. Gen. Clifton D. Wright Award recognizes quality maintenance, repair and improvement of installation facilities and infrastructure. The award also focuses on Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection results as well as other testing. Other items looked at for the award include energy reduction and savings. The operations flight chaired Malmstrom's energy campaign and created a 27 percent energy reduction in fiscal year 2006 from a 1985 fiscal year baseline, said Lt. Col. Daniel Costello, 341st CES commander. They also teamed with local utility companies to create $290 thousand in energy rebates. The operations flight also created massive heat plant savings burning eight thousand tons of coal in lieu of natural gas which saved Malmstrom $1 million. The operations flight accomplished much more than creating energy reductions and savings. They also slashed hazardous waste by 70 percent and deactivated an 11 thousand barrel diesel tank. "Our mission is to serve the premier space wing in the Air Force, keeping America free and strong," Colonel Costello said. People come first and the operations flight demonstrated this motto through facility upgrades to the Grizzly Bend Club, the Airmen's Center and six missile alert facilities extending the system life for 10 years. They also upgraded five warehouses saving $125 thousand in project costs. All of this was accomplished while deploying 54 Airmen to Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning 12 Community College of the Air Force degrees and upgrading 38 Airmen. The runner-up for the award was the 27th CES at Cannon AFB, N.M.