The Department of War has announced its 2025 Secretary of War Maintenance Awards winners, recognizing military units that have demonstrated exceptional achievement in maintaining the nation’s defense systems and equipment.
In a ceremony held on January 22, 2026, followed by a formal announcement on January 29, the department honored organizations across various categories for their outstanding work during the fiscal year 2024 competitive period, which ran from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
Top Honors and Field-Level Excellence
The prestigious Phoenix Award, given to the top field-level maintenance unit, was presented to the 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group. This award represents the pinnacle of recognition for operational maintenance excellence.
Field-level winners were divided into three size categories. In the small category, the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron SEVEN and the 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Travis Air Force Base took top honors. Medium category winners included the Phoenix Award recipient 1st Maintenance Battalion and the Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center, while the large category recognized the 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment from Kadena Air Base and the 4th Maintenance Group from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
What makes these achievements particularly notable? Each unit demonstrated exceptional performance in keeping America’s military equipment operational during a period of heightened global tensions and technological challenges.
Depot and Software Maintenance Recognition
The Robert T. Mason Award for Depot Maintenance Excellence went to the F-16 Depot Maintenance Team from the 573rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Ogden Air Logistics Complex, highlighting their critical role in sustaining one of America’s most versatile fighter platforms.
Meanwhile, the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center earned the Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper Award for Software Maintenance Excellence, reflecting the growing importance of digital systems in modern warfare.
International Cooperation and Innovation
The Sustainment Training, Advice, and Assistance of Foreign Military Forces Award recognized two units. “The 31st Maintenance Group Country Teams received the 2025 Secretary of War Sustainment, Train, Advise, and Assist Award for strengthening…” partnerships in the ministerial category, operating from Aviano Air Base in Italy. The operational category winner was the Ukraine Security Assistance Group J-4 staff assigned to United States Army Europe and Africa — a reflection of America’s ongoing support for Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
Innovation took center stage with the 2025 Maintenance Innovation Challenge. “The Overall Winner is Grey Gecko Real-Time Inspection Tool (GRIT), submitted by Gray Gecko, LLC,” which promises to revolutionize maintenance by detecting corrosion beneath coatings, cutting downtime by 25% and inspection labor by over 50%. The People’s Choice award went to the Advanced Manufacturing Competitive Advantage Pathfinder developed by the US Marine Corps’ Marine Depot Maintenance Command.
These awards, announced at the DOW Maintenance Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona, serve as both recognition for excellence and as a showcase for emerging technologies that could transform military maintenance practices across all branches.
It’s worth noting that these maintenance awards operate separately from the DOD Environmental Awards program, which recently recognized installations including Hill Air Force Base and Kadena Air Base for environmental stewardship.
As defense systems grow increasingly sophisticated, the behind-the-scenes maintenance work highlighted by these awards becomes ever more critical to America’s military readiness — even if it rarely makes headlines outside military circles.
