WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2012 – Fort Knox, Ky., today became the first military installation to earn the Gold Medal Award of Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in a competition conducted by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association.

Officials announced Fort Knox’s selection as the Grand Plaque recipient for Armed Forces Recreation during the NRPA’s annual conference in Anaheim, Calif.

This is the first year the awards have included a category for military morale, welfare and recreation programs. The Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Community Recreation Division at Fort Knox was one of four Grand Plaque finalists in the military category, along with MWR programs at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Base San Diego in California and Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.

The military category recognizes recreation programs for service members, their families, retirees, reservists, and civilian employees. Military installations around the world submitted applications demonstrating their recreation programs’ excellence and innovation in long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship and other categories, officials said.

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