NAS Whiting Field MWR Team Announced as Winner for 2024 National Gold Medal Award – Park and Recreation Management

MILTON, Fla. – The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), announced Naval Air Station Whiting Field’s Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department as the Grand Plaque Recipient for the 2024 National Gold Medal Award, Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in the Armed Forces Category.

This prestigious accolade is awarded to public parks and recreation agencies, state park systems across the U.S. and armed forces recreation programs worldwide, recognizing outstanding performance in long-range planning, resource management, and innovation in recreation service delivery.

NAS Whiting Field MWR Director, Katie Prestesater said, “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the American Academy of Park and Recreations. After years of competition, being celebrated as a finalist and ultimately receiving the gold medal is remarkable. This award serves as a testament to the outstanding efforts of our team. We had the privilege of sending two team members to the Gala and Awards Presentation and witnessing them being recognized on stage by over 8,000 peers at the National Recreation Park Association Conference was a highlight of my career. This achievement reflects the dedication, hard work, and collaboration of our employees who serve our warfighters, their families, and the Department of Defense community.”

“I have been blown away by how awesome our MWR Team is and love all that they do to improve quality of life for our Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen here in Milton, Fla. Katie Prestesater, our MWR Director inspires and leads an impressive team and I am so happy to see them receive this recognition,” said Commanding Officer NAS Whiting Field, Capt. Ted Elkins.

The NAS Whiting Field MWR team serves military members and their families at Whiting with recreational, physical fitness and family activities such as 5K fun runs, physical fitness challenges, campouts, movie nights, library activities, and many other events geared toward enhancing a family community and morale among Sailors.

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff members and elected officials.

Founded in 1965, the National 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. Applications are separated into six classes, with five classes based on population and one class for armed forces.

For more information on the National Gold Medal Award Program, visit www.aapra.org or www.nrpa.org/goldmedal

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Photo: NAS Whiting Field Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) team paused for a quick team photo after receiving words of appreciation from the NAS Whiting Field Commanding Officer, Capt. Ted Elkins (Photo by NAS Whiting Field Public Affairs Office)

Naval Air Station Whiting Field, home of Training Air Wing Five, is the backbone of Naval Aviation Training, supporting approximately 60 percent of all primary fixed-wing flight training and 100 percent of all initial helicopter training for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps. NAS Whiting Field is the busiest aviation complex in the world with more than one million flight operations flown at the installation annually. It is comprised of two main airfields and 12 Navy Outlying Landing Fields across four counties in Southeast Alabama and Northwest Florida. TRAWING Five flies an estimated 43 percent of the Chief of Naval Air Training Command's total flight time and 17 percent of Navy and Marine Corps' flight time worldwide. More than 1,200 personnel receive their essential flight training through TRAWING Five annually.

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1984 to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; to encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators to enhance the practice of park and recreation administration; to promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and, to conduct research, publish scholarly papers and sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration. For more information, visit www.aapra.org.

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

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