Army Deployment Excellence Award.

All units and installations that have executed or supported a training or contingency deployment in the year ending Nov. 30, 2006, should begin planning now to enter the Army's 2007 Deployment Excellence Award competition.

The competition for this elite award is open to active, Reserve or National Guard units and installations. Two representatives flora each winning and runner-up unit in each category will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., to accept the unit's award in May 2007. The trip includes travel, per diem, lodging and ground transportation, as well as time for shopping, tours of the Washington area and a photograph with the Army's Chief of Staff.

Competition year for the 2007 award is Dec. 1,2005, through Nov. 30, 2006. Interested organizations should contact their Army service commands for submission deadlines. Active units within the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command may participate in the Large and Small Deploying Unit and Supporting Unit categories. Units must submit their nomination packets for approval through SDDC PLH, 200 Stovall Street, Hoffman II, Alexandria, VA 22332-5000. The command may forward up to four nominations.

Reserve units in SDDC may self-nominate through appropriate command channels directly to United States Army Reserve Command, ATTN: AFRC-TRU, 1401 Deshler Street, Southwest, Fort McPherson, GA 30330. The USARC may select a maximum of 12 units to forward for further competition. Points of contact, award guidance, evaluation criteria and a sample nomination packet can be found on the Deployment Process Modernization Office web page, http://www.deploy.eustis.army.mil/DEA/default.htm.