US Air Force granted recycling accolade
The US Air Force Academy (USAFA) was honoured at The Pentagon for obtaining first place in the Great American Can Roundup’s (GACR) Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge with 4,050 cadets recycling 20,300 aluminium beverage cans, half of the total amount recycled in the challenge.
The USAFA competed in the 2015-2016 GACR Challenge with the US Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), and the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA).
Maureen Sullivan, the deputy assistant secretary of defence, office of the secretary of defence, along with Robert Budway, president, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), presented the winning trophy and $3,000 to the USAFA.
The USNA and USCGA recycled around 18,000 and 2,300 aluminium beverage cans during this year’s challenge, respectively. In the Intra-Academy competition, USCGA’s Foxtrot Company and USNA’s 5th Company, 1st Battalion bested all other companies. Representing the USNA at the award ceremony were midshipmen, Jodi Cull-Host, Jeanelle Seals, and Alyssa Whyte.
The USAFA top squadron, Squadron 15, also received top honours in the Intra-Academy competition and received a $500 check and commemorative tray. Cadets Bailee Harnett and Madison Martin and Major Martin Poon accepted the award.
Sullivan, said: “This competition is a great opportunity for our future leaders to work towards incorporating sustainability into their day to day operations. The cadets and midshipmen commitment demonstrates their understanding that sustainability and protecting of our environment is a core value of the Department of Defence. ”
“CMI is thrilled with the example these young men and women of our nation’s military academies are setting through their environmentally responsible recycling activities,” said Budway. “The aluminum beverage can is endlessly recyclable, so in a world that is increasingly concerned about scarce resources, aluminum cans have the ability to be recycled over and over, without losing their strength or quality.”
U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, added: “I’m very proud of our service-minded Cadets who embody our Air Force core values. Their energetic efforts led to us earning this noteworthy recognition. Environmentally-focused management of our land and resources is always a top priority and we are delighted that our cadets share this same level of commitment to environmentally-conscious leadership.”
