Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort received two awards during the Secretary of the Navy’s annual Environmental and Safety Excellence Awards Ceremony at the Navy
Memorial Heritage Center in Washington, D.C. July 23. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort earned the Off-Duty Base Safety Award and the Environmental Planning Team Award.
    The Off-Duty Base Safety Award is awarded annually to an installation with a superior off-duty safety program with proactive measures for risk and hazard reduction,
and a command culture that holds not only operational excellence, but off-duty safety, to a high standard.
    “The Townsend Bombing Range Integrated Planning Team, led by MCAS Beaufort, earned the Environmental Planning Team Award for the establishment, commitment, and innovative actions of the IPT,” said William Drawdy, the Natural Resource and Environmental Affairs Officer for MCAS Beaufort. Team members brought expertise in environmental and natural resource affairs, cultural resources, community planning and liaising, public affairs, real estate, training and operations, and policy and compliance to successfully achieve a record of decision to expand the range.
    “Thank you all for the effort put in to receive this award,” said Col. Peter D. Buck, the commanding officer for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. “Well done to all. I’m very proud of this air station. Receiving two awards is a big deal and we’ll display the awards proudly.”
    According to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, the objective of the Environmental and Safety Excellence Awards is to highlight activities that have excelled in improving warfighting and mission readiness through professional risk management in the elimination of preventable deaths, injuries, occupational illnesses, infrastructure and materiel losses, and mission degradation. The awards emphasize the unique importance of safety as a top Department of the Navy priority.