The Chief of Staff (CSA), Army Award for Maintenance Excellence (AAME) Program is conducted each year to recognize Army units and/or activities that have demonstrated excellence in maintenance operations. Each unit is evaluated on their effectiveness ensuring that Soldier competency is maintained. Assessments of each unit in the categories of attitude and effective leadership are rated with a benchmark based on those of past winners, and the tenets of exceptional maintenance processes that were exhibited are validated and ranked.

• Improve and sustain field maintenance readiness
• Assess the maintenance component of unit readiness
• Improve efficiency and reduce waste
• Recognize exceptional maintenance accomplishments/initiatives
• Ensure that best units compete
• Provide positive incentives for extraordinary maintenance efforts
• Promote competition at ACOM, ASCC, DRU, and DOD levels

Each year the CSA will present the AAME plaques to the category Winners for their superior maintenance operations.

The Deputy Chief of Staff G-4 (DCS, G-4) will:

• Provide program funding guidance, policy, and overall supervision of the program.
• Determine the most appropriate means of award presentation and coordinate the annual award ceremony.
• Conduct the Army board that selects 6 nominees to the SECDEF Maintenance Awards Program.

ACOM, ASCC and DRU Commanders will:

• Promote competition at all levels of command and develop awards to recognize units and/or activities participating in all levels of the competition process.
• Validate, Select, and Endorse nomination packets submitted by subordinate organizations in accordance with ALARACT and forward to USAOS.

The Commander, U.S. Army Ordnance School (USAOS) will:

• Serve as responsible official for administration of the AAME Program.
• Assist the DCS, G-4 in the development and coordination of updates and modifications to policy and administrative instructions.
• Develop, revise, and maintain security of assessment protocols used to select Semi-Finalists, Runners-Up, and Winners.
• Convene the HQDA assessment board and conduct onsite evaluation team visits.
• Assist the DCS, G-4 in determining the most appropriate means of award presentation and coordinating the annual award ceremony.
• Host an annual AAR with DCS G-4, ACOM, ASCC, and DRU representatives.

• Active Army MTOE - Small Category (1-100 Personnel)
• Active Army MTOE - Medium Category (101-300 personnel)
• Active Army MTOE - Large Category (301 + personnel)
• Active Army TDA - One Category (no sizes)
• Active Army All others - One Category (no sizes)
• Army National Guard MTOE - Small Category (1-100 personnel)
• Army National Guard MTOE - Medium Category (101-300 personnel)
• Army National Guard TDA - One Category (no sizes)
• Army Reserve MTOE - Small Category (1-100 personnel)
• Army Reserve MTOE - Medium Category (101-300 personnel)
• Army Reserve TDA - One Category (no sizes)
• Aviation - One Category (all 3 COMPO's)
• Army Depot-Level Competition (Different criteria, refer to latest ALARACT)

The Army Award for Maintenance Excellence was established in 1982 by the Department of the Army to recognize exceptional accomplishment in Maintenance and provide added incentive to the competitive programs of Major Army Commands. Active TOE, Army National Guard TOE, Army Reserve TOE, DOL's, and TDA units compete separately, and the competition in each component is divided into three categories: Small, Medium and Large, based on number of authorized personnel. Aligns with the DOD Awards Program and Category Winners are considered for DOD.