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Air University authors receive Blue Dart Awards

  • Published
  • By Carl Bergquist
  • Air Univesrity Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  In a ceremony this week at Air War College's Jones Auditorium, seven Air War College students and faculty members received Blue Dart Awards for writing opposite-the-editorial-page, or op-ed, pieces about their work at Air University. There were at total of 25 Blue Dart Awards presented for 2010.

In an opening statement, Lt. Gen. Allen Peck, Air University commander, said he was happy to be in attendance for the awards presentation as Blue Darts are an important way to get the work of the university into the public domain.

"The notion is that we do a lot of great writing at Air University, but if it doesn't get read, what's the difference," he said. "My predecessor, Gen. Stephen Lorenz (Air Education and Training Command commander), developed the Blue Dart program, and it asks Air University students and faculty to write 750-word op-eds that are condensed from their normal job-related writing."

General Peck said the program has flourished and, looking at the winners of this year's awards, has a "joint flavor."

Dr. Bruce Murphy, Air University chief academic officer, said the Blue Darts help get the ideas developed at Air University out into the public domain for all to read.

"Blue Darts actually serve two purposes," he said. "One, they teach the students and faculty how to get our ideas out to people in an understandable fashion, and two, they are an academic exercise for the students in how to take complex ideas and put them into a format that is easy to understand."

General Peck said Air University has the Air University Foundation and the Military Officers Association of America, formerly The Retired Officers Association, to thank for making the awards possible. He said he was proud to have Vice Adm. Norbert Ryan, the president of MOAA, present for the awards.

Admiral Ryan said associations like MOAA work on Capitol Hill to make lawmakers aware of the needs of retired military members, and it is a full-time job for MOAA personnel who also live in Washington.

"It is important for military-related organizations to join one of the many military support groups because the groups are the voice of those organizations," he said. "Actually, Maxwell is responsible for MOAA becoming involved in thanking people for service and focusing on their needs. It all started here at Maxwell with the Blue Dart Awards."

Also present for the 15-minute ceremony, which was attended by more than 70 base members, was Ray White, AUF president, and retired Air Force Col. Joe Panza, AUF executive director.