NAF Atsugi MWR Nominated as Finalist for the National Gold Medal Awards

Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management

Story By: Gregory Mitchell

NAVAL AIR FACILITY, Atsugi, Japan - Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department has recently been nominated as a finalist for the 2023 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreational Management.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition.

"I think it is recognition of the tremendous work that this team does everyday," said Tara Culberson, NAF Atsugi MWR Program Director. "They are so committed to taking care of Sailors and familiesand this award nomination just acknowledges that."

NAF Atsugi is a finalist in the Armed Forces Recreation category. Other finalist are Dover Air Force Base, Dover, Delaware; Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox, Kentucky and Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Florida. The official winner in each category will be presented in October of this year during the Gold Medal Gala reception, which will be held in Dallas, Texas, as

MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION

part of the national recreation and park association's annual conference.

Culbertson views the entire NAF Atsugi MWR team as a group with 'superpowers,' a special set of skills that each employee has and also can be viewed as 'accepting of'.

"First, we are an organization of people who deeply care about people," said Culbertson. "We leverage the diversity of our staff, from all over the globe, to express their diverse thinking, different problem solving techniques, and different points of view."

The mission of NAF Atsugi has transformed over the last few years. Culbertson said that the MWR team has had to pivot, not only taking outstanding care of the commands already on base, but also hosting transient personnel and temporary military detachments from other bases and other service branches.

"Handling change, and surging to meet demand, is another superpower of ours - flexibility," she continues. "Our last superpower is location. These MWR superstars take customers to the largest city in the world, beaches for water activities, a wealth of outdoor adventures, and some of the best snow conditions in the world for skiing or snowboarding. I could not be more proud of what they do on a daily basis."