The Army Communities of Excellence (ACOE) program is based on the principle that communities support people best by combining excellent services with excellent facilities in a quality environment. As the guidelines for ACOE state: “The Army community is inextricably linked to readiness; our forces train at, deploy from, are sustained by and return to—the community. Soldiers who are convinced that their leaders care about them and their families perform their mission with more confidence.”

ACOE Awards, which have been presented since 1989, are given annually to the three Army installations that score highest using the Army Performance Improvement Criteria (APIC), which are the Baldrige Criteria, as well as to special category winners that have excelled at building a high-quality environment, outstanding facilities, and superior services.

Unlike the Baldrige Award, the ACOE first-place winner receives a check for $1 million, second place gets $500,000, and third place receives $250,000. The prize money can only be used for community projects, which supports the purpose of ACOE.

Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia won first place honors in 2008. In a profile of its accomplishments, the installation stated: “APIC provides us a synchronization mechanism—often referred to as alignment—for ensuring our leadership considers all stakeholders, tailors our processes and resources accordingly, and employs visionary thinking. Our strategic planning is inextricably linked with our customer and market focus, and aligned with the IMCOM Strategic Plan.”

That’s a leading Baldrige organization.

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