Commander announces IEA improvement projects Published June 6, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Military, civilians and family members attended the CINC IEA Party at Wings of Freedom Park, June 6, 2014. The event, hosted by the Altus Chamber of Commerce, treated those in attendance with free food, drinks, live music, a dunk tank and activities like golf, bowling and swimming. The highlight of the day, though, was the unveiling of the projects the base will spend its $700,000 on for receiving the 2014 Commander in Chief's Installation Excellence Award. U.S. Air Force Col. Bill Spangenthal, 97th Air Mobility Wing commander, announced the seven projects the wing plans to fund with the money, which over 1,000 base members voted on through an online survey in April: − Basewide wireless Internet, planned for late August − Addition of Crossfit-style equipment and workout space, planned for August − An 18-hole mini-golf course and splash pad behind the base library, planned for mid to late October − An archery range next to the paintball fields on base, planned for late July − A dog park next to Freedom Park, planned for late July − Chapel renovations, planned for late July − Expansion of the kids play zone at the Freedom Community Center and the parents' workout area at the fitness center, planned for mid July The wing also plans to improve the base through end of year funding, dependent on how much money is available: − Long-distance treadmills − Picnic area improvements between the FCC and base pool − Expanded base library computer capabilities, programs and new furniture − Upgraded softball, soccer and paintball fields − Upgraded furniture in the Airman Resilience Center The base originally earned $1 million for earning the Air Force's top spot in the annual competition, but the Air Force later decided to award part of the monetary incentive to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana and Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., which will improve the quality of life for even more Airmen and families across the Air Force. The process began in November, when Air Education and Training Command commander Gen. Robin Rand selected the wing as the AETC nominee for the award in November. The 97th went on to represent the command at the Air Force level; it was finally narrowed down to Altus AFB and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., as the final competitors. Of course, the rest is history. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III announced Altus AFB as the IEA winner during an all-call here March 6. "Congratulations. That's a phenomenal accomplishment. It takes everybody in a wing to make it happen, and it takes everybody in the community to support you to accomplish this. It's really exciting news for all of us," he said. To win the award, an installation must demonstrate exemplary support for the Department of Defense mission and show marked improvement and innovative progress in various processes that are fundamental to an installation's successful operations. "This just confirms what I've known all along; the Mighty 97th has the best active duty, reserve and civilian Airmen and what you've accomplished in the last year is nothing short of phenomenal," said Spangenthal at the time of Welsh's announcement. "Our focus on accomplishing the mission, developing our Airmen and caring for our families is the motivation to achieve even greater results in the future."