Det. 9 receives Chief Master Sgt. John F. Entrican award

Tinker Air Force Base Okla. -- Detachment 9 of the 373rd Training Squadron is no stranger to greatness. 

The training detachment recently won the Chief Master Sgt. John F. Entrican award, its third time since 2000. 

"We didn't expect it, but we worked really hard to show everyone that we are the best detachment when it comes to production, inspection and volunteerism," said Master Sgt. Leroy Lewis, Det. 9 superintendent. "Basically, this gives us bragging rights for a whole year to say that we are the best maintenance detachment in the Air Force." 

The John F. Entrican award is named for one of the first noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Department of Field Training, and the award recognizes the efforts of those who have contributed to the success and advancement of the field training mission. 

Det. 9's overall mission is to provide aircraft maintenance training to the Department of Defense and its allies in mission-critical needs, Sgt. Lewis said. 

Each year, the John F. Entrican award is presented to one of the 45 detachments in the 82nd Training Wing's 982nd Training Group's 373rd TS that proves to be the most outstanding. 

"Our vision is to be the obvious choice for efficient aircraft maintenance training anytime, anywhere and well into the 21st century," Sgt. Lewis said. 

Det. 9 is an Air Education and Training Command unit detached from the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. A majority of Det. 9's instructor pool is from the 552nd Air Control Wing. 

"We have the most talented and driven group of instructors in field training, to include our civilian instructors who support the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center," Sgt. Lewis said. 

Det. 9 also won the John F. Entrican award in 2004.