ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee (MAC) and the Air Force Mobility Command (AMC) Office of Public Affair announced the recipient of the 2019 Abilene Trophy during the Airlift /Tanker Association virtual convention held Oct. 27-30.
According to an MAC press release, the recipient of the Abilene Trophy was the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois - Scott Air Force Base.
“For over 100 years, the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois has demonstrated their commitment to Scott Air Force Base, its mission, their airmen and families,” Shaun Martin, Abilene’s Military Affairs Committee vice-chair, said.
The AMC and the MAC jointly administer the annual competition for the Abilene Trophy among all communities that support a local AMC base or unit.
Communities submit the packages to the AMC early in the year and a selection committee chooses the top three. Those selections are sent to the commander of AMC who makes the final decision and announces the winner.
The winner announced during the AMC Spring Rally, usually held in April, however, the announcement was postponed to October and held virtually this year because of COVID-19, according to the release.
The traveling trophy is a bronze sculpture of the American bald eagle in flight and was created by a local artist. Each winning community is given a miniature bronze sculpture of the eagle at the end of its winning year and the large traveling trophy moves to the next community once the winner is announced.
Abilene previously won the Strategic Air Command and Air Combat Command Community Support Award so often the awards were subsequently retired.
The Air Mobility Command and the Abilene MAC co-created the AMC Community Support Award in January 1999. The award is now known as the "Abilene Trophy."
For more information on the chamber's Military Affairs Committee, visit abilenechamber.com.
