190th named 2009 'Distinguished Flying Unit'

The "Standard of Excellence" is more than a motto when there's documentation behind it. 

The latest accolades came last month as the 190th Air Refueling Wing was named winner of the 2009 NGAUS Distinguished Flying Unit from the National Guard Association of the United States. 

During 2008, the 190 ARW deployed more than 270 unit members for the Global War on Terror and one-third of the unit's flying hours were real-world taskings. The unit flew hundreds of hours on missions such as monthly Aeromed Evacuations, which returned wounded service members home for recovery. During the summer, the unit airlifted an Army company home after a year in Iraq. Although these are only a few examples of the work the 190 ARW performed over the past year, every unit member contributed to the accomplishment. 

"Each of you deserve the credit for this award," said Col. Keith I. Lang, commander, who made a point of congratulating all unit members. 

According to the official announcement from the National Guard Bureau, "the competition was extremely keen, and each winner is to be commended for having been selected from an outstanding group of nominees. The dedication and commitment of the members of these organizations enable the Air National Guard to fulfill its commitment to the missions of peacekeeping, humanitarian relief, domestic improvement, and most important of all - defense of America."