,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #deac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bf1      
#bjai,mr4 ,bost 7for himself1 ,mrs4     
,bustos1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of      
,illinois1 ,mr4 ,rodney ,davis of       
,illinois1 ,mr4 ,shimkus1 ,mr4          
,kinzinger1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1   
and ,mr4 ,la,hood7 introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a  
,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary of 
the ,air ,force to designate the        
,illinois ,air ,national ,guard #abfth  
,air ,refueling ,wing at ,scott ,air    
,force ,base as a ,center of ,excellence
 for ,,kc-#ace,r maintenance operations4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,air ,national ,guard ,air 
,refueling ,wing ,center of ,excellence 
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3  7#a7 ,the #abfth ,air      
,refueling ,wing has a long1 decorated  
history of exceeding its fiscal year    
goals in ,mission ,capable ,rate1       

,aircraft ,availability1 ,hourly ,use1  
,home ,station ,logistics ,departure    
,reliability1 flying hours1 sorties1 and
 fuel offloaded4  7#b7 ,the #abfth ,air 
,refueling ,wing was the top performing 
,,kc-#ace,r unit in #bjaf1 receiving the
 ,air ,force ,outstanding ,unit ,award4 
7#c7 ,the #abfth ,air ,refueling ,wing  
had the highest mission capable rating  
for all ,,kc-#ace,r aircraft1 ,active1  
,guard and ,reserve for fiscal years    
#bjaf1 #bjag1 and #bjah1 and is on track
 for fiscal year #bjai1 with a #hi4jf   
percent mission capable rating4  7#d7   
,the #abfth ,air ,refueling ,wing set   
the bar for home station departure      
reliability rate1 exceeding ,air        
,mobility ,command's goal of #gh percent
 with a three-year average of #ih4af    
percent4  7#e7 ,the #abfth ,maintenance 
,group won the coveted ,maintenance     
,effectiveness ,award for being the top 
,maintenance ,group in best ,small      
,aircraft ,maintenance unit category    
7#cjj personnel7 in the ,air ,national  

,guard for fiscal year #bjag4  7#f7 ,the
 #abfth ,maintenance ,group was the     
visionary of ,project #ad1 which is the 
premier #ad-;day ,,kc-#ace periodic     
inspection model championed by the      
,national ,guard ,bureau4  7#g7 ,the    
#abfth ,maintenance ,group completed #ag
 periodic inspections of aircraft and   
nine periodic inspections on other      
units' ,,kc-#aces1 increasing the       
mission capable rating by #h percent and
 potentially setting the standard for   
periodic inspection regionalization4    
7#h7 ,the #abfth ,air ,refueling ,wing  
flew #bg black letter flights 7aircraft 
with zero discrepancies71 including one 
flight in ,,centcom to support the      
warfighter4  7#i7 ,air ,mobility        
,command awarded the #abfth ,air        
,refueling ,wing was the top tanker wing
 in fuel efficiency for fiscal year     
#bjaf and #bjag4  7#aj7 ,the #abfth     
,maintenance ,group spearheaded the     
modeling of conditioned based           
maintenance plus1 the benchmark for all 

,,kc-#ace units4  7#aa7 ,the #abfth ,air
 ,refueling ,wing supported the         
,illinois ,state ,partnership ,program1 
strengthening ties with the ,polish ,air
 ,force during ,joint ,exercises        
,,baltops_/,clear ,sky in #bjah1 flying 
#bc sorties while offloading #hge1jjj   
pounds of fuel to #ajb receivers4  7#ab7
 ,the #abfth ,air ,refueling ,wing      
supported ,joint ,forces ,domestic      
,operations in support of ,hurricane    
,irma relief efforts in #bjag4  7#ac7   
,the #abfth ,mission ,support ,group's  
,logistics ,readiness ,squadron was     
awarded the ,air ,national ,guard's     
,base ,logistics ,activity of the ,year 
in #bjag4  7#ad7 ,the #abfth            
,maintenance ,group mantra of ,fix ,it  
,today ,safely1 combined with the       
overall #abfth ,air ,refueling ,wing    
efforts1 enabled aircraft to safely fly 
over #c1ejj sorties and over #af1jjj    
hours to refuel more than #b1gjj ,u4,s4 
,air ,force and ,allied aircraft in     
fiscal years #bjaf1 #bjag1 and #bjah4   

7#ae7 ,several members of the #abfth    
,air ,refueling ,wing have received     
honors for their superior work1         
including3  7,a7 #a ,paralegal in a     
,reserve ,component for #bjah as awarded
 by ,air ,mobility ,command and         
recognized by ,judge ,advocate ,general 
,corps2  7,b7 #a ,intelligence1         
,surveillance1 and ,reconnaissance      
,senior ,noncommissioned ,officer in    
,air ,mobility ,command for #bjag2  7,c7
 #a ,noncommissioned ,officer in the    
,state of ,illinois for #bjah2  7,d7 #a 
#ast ,sergeant in the ,state of         
,illinois for #bjah2 and  7,e7 #a       
,airman in the ,state of ,illinois for  
#bjag4  #c4 ,authority to designate a   
,center of ,excellence for ,,kc-#ace,r  
maintenance ,the ,secretary of the ,air 
,force may designate the ,illinois ,air 
,national ,guard #abfth ,air ,refueling 
,wing at ,scott ,air ,force ,base as a  
,center of ,excellence for ,,kc-#ace,r  
maintenance operations4