Schinnen, Netherlands - U.S. Army Garrison Schinnen, formerly the 254th Base Support Battalion, became the first European garrison and fourth Army garrison to be awarded the Army Superior Unit Award June 14.

The award was presented during a change of command ceremony to former Schinnen garrison commander Lt. Col. Rick Richardson. The award is for mission accomplishment from June 1, 2004 to June 1, 2005, during which time the unit set the standard for strategic planning, environmental stewardship and resource management for Installation Management Europe.

“The significance of this award is that few units in battalions or above have received the Army Superior Unit Award,” said USAG Benelux Commander Col. Dean Nowowiejski. “To be able to present the citation of award at this change of command is really noteworthy for the team, the community of USAG Schinnen and all the people who have contributed to the accomplishment.”

“The Army Superior Unit Award is a great honor and truly represents the hard work and dedication of every single Soldier and civilian in this garrison,” said Richardson. “It is a result of individuals working as a team to make “quality” and “customer service” our watch words. This is not my award; it is the garrisons’ award.”