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Montgomery, Alabama, named AETC's 2015 Altus Trophy winner

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  • Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, RANDOLPH, Texas --  The city of Montgomery, Alabama, is the 2015 Altus Trophy winner, formally announced at a short ceremony here March 23.

The Altus Trophy, also known as the Air Education and Training Command Community Support Award, is presented annually by the Altus, Oklahoma, Chamber of Commerce to a community judged to have shown the most outstanding support to an AETC base. Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, AETC commander, made the announcement at the annual spring AETC Commander's Civic Leader Group meeting.

"The city of Montgomery is truly deserving of this award.  What's amazing is how far beyond the mayor's office and the chamber of commerce the community partnership extends," said Col. Andrea Tullos, Maxwell Air Force Base commander. "The city officials and the business community set the tone, but every member of the community I come across extends a welcoming hand, a warm heart and sincerely asks what they can do to support our military personnel and their families. It's a tribute to the level of patriotism and the strong sense of community service inherent in the entire River Region. We're fortunate to be able to call Montgomery home."

The Altus Trophy selection committee chose Montgomery as the 2015 recipient because of its exceptional partnership with Airmen and families assigned to Maxwell, home of the Air Force's Air University. The chamber recognized the city's tremendous support, citing a year-round series of events that reflect the high regard the community has for the military. One specific event of note is the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Military Support Council's "Eggs and Issues," a quarterly breakfast with state senators in which attendees discuss issues impacting business, projects and the vitality of Maxwell-Gunter. The committee also recognized the steadfast support given to international students training at the base.

"All the communities surrounding our bases provide stellar support to our Airmen. In earning this year's Altus Trophy, the people of Montgomery deserve our deepest appreciation. I, along with the Airmen and families at Maxwell, am thankful for all the people of Montgomery do for us every day in helping us carry out our mission to recruit, train and educate America's Airmen," Roberson said.

"We're incredibly humbled to receive this distinction," said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, "but we are even more humbled by the steadfast service, dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who call or have called Montgomery's Maxwell Air Force Base and Air University home. Our partnership with the United States Air Force has been critical in propelling our community and local economy into the 21st century, as was recently demonstrated by the launch of the Montgomery Internet Exchange, and we plan to continue building on these accomplishments moving forward."

Other finalists for the 2015 Altus Trophy included Little Rock, Arkansas, and Spokane, Washington.

This is the first Altus Trophy awarded to Montgomery. The city of San Angelo, Texas, was the 2014 Altus Trophy winner. Since the award's inception in 2010, the Altus Trophy has been presented, chronologically, to Columbus, Miss.; Wichita Falls, Texas; Del Rio, Texas; and Enid, Okla.

A ceremony formally presenting the Altus Trophy to Montgomery will occur this spring.