“One factor my senior enlisted grasp chief mentors from my Navy profession taught me is the significance of correct recognition of your individuals after they do a superb job and lean in arduous to get the job achieved,” NSWC IHD Commanding Officer Capt. Eric Correll mentioned. “That’s what we’re right here to do at this time; whether or not a easy pat on the again or a Bravo Zulu, a coin or a medal, or bringing numerous the group collectively to have the ability to formally honor and acknowledge by way of our annual Honorary Awards program. I’m very proud and honored to serve with all of you.”
Command management offered 18 Honorary Awards to acknowledge the numerous contributions of greater than 100 workers.
ROGER M. SMITH TEAM AWARD: Roger Smith, NSWC IHD technical director from October 1989 till his loss of life in February 1999, believed the power to work as a crew was the important thing to continued success. This award acknowledges crew efforts to enhance the command’s efficiency and effectiveness in offering services and products to satisfy buyer necessities. Offered to the PBXIH-143 crew: Timothy Appleby, Thomas Breen, Jock Brewer, Thomas Byerley, David Clark, Dale Cornette, Joseph Craven, Nicholas Falcone, David Fuller, Sean Hancock, Johnnie Hart, Dr. Darlene Galloza Lorenzo, Dr. Anne Haslam, Darryell Johnson, Christina Kasmer, Emily Leitsch, John Luense, William Marks, William McConnell, George McDaniel, Thomas McGrath, Dr. Joseph Olles, Samuel Paras, Erik Saar, Gabrielle Sandy, Stephen Stiles, Garvin Thomas, Melvin Thomas, Dr. Francis Vangessel, John Van Kirk, Daniela Wagus, Mark Williams and Travis Yon. The conclusion of a brand new underwater explosive is a as soon as in a era occasion, and the trail to qualify the primary new underwater explosive in many years required experience from throughout the group. With a harmonious crew from the Security Workplace and the Methods Engineering; Energetics Manufacturing; Analysis, Growth, and Check and Analysis Departments; the PBXIH-143 crew demonstrated a producible underwater explosive with considerably extra output than its predecessors. PBXIH-143, slated for qualification in FY23, will enhance the lethality of the U.S. Navy’s torpedoes and mines.
EXCELLENCE IN SAFETY AWARD: This award acknowledges a person or group who made a big effort to boost protected work practices of their space. Offered to Alexis Leaf, who has been the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Division’s go-to security consultant for a few years, and previously yr has gone above and past with new duties and contributions to each the division and command. Leaf just lately took on the function of the Security Assessment Committee Fast Enchancment Occasion chairperson, the place she led a various crew which had diverging pursuits and wishes. Because the division’s Security Technical Rigor Pillar consultant and Security Committee Chair, Leaf’s dedication to making sure each workplaces and processes are protected and environment friendly has benefitted each the division and the command.
EXCELLENCE IN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AWARD: This award acknowledges excellence in programs engineering proficiency as utilized to execution of roles inside tasks or enhancements to company pillar space processes, instruments, metrics and data and awarded to a person or group who exhibit a capability to implement a excessive diploma of technical proficiency in programs engineering to make sure the best and environment friendly strategies, instruments and proficiency are utilized. Offered to Todd Rininger, Maritime System Security Department crew lead, whose tireless work, technical rigor and selfless contributions have considerably contributed to the success and security of NSWC IHD, the Methods Engineering Division and the fleet. Rininger is acknowledged for his tireless work over the past yr, in each official, appearing managerial capacities and voluntarily as crew lead, to help the Energetics Methods and System Security administration and employees within the transition to the System Security Division and subordinate branches.
EXCELLENCE IN QUALITY EXECUTION AWARD: This award acknowledges excellence in making use of high quality program proficiency throughout execution because it pertains to our high quality management programs. Excellence in high quality is important to realizing constant supply and demand for our services and products. Offered to Kelly Maguire, who voluntarily stepped into the function of Lab High quality Supervisor for the Analysis, Growth, Check and Analysis (RDT&E) Division’s Utilized Analytical Laboratory, and led efforts to ascertain and enhance the standard program. Over the previous yr, Maguire was integral in establishing, sustaining and implementing the wants for the command’s high quality pillar, leading to enhancements to this system and fulfilled NSWC IHD’s dedication to develop into ISO 17025 compliant.
EXCELLENCE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT AWARD: Undertaking administration is the applying of management, communication and technical rigor — processes, instruments, templates and personnel proficiency — to efficiently execute undertaking actions to satisfy organizational and buyer expectations. Behind each prime quality undertaking is a undertaking supervisor who’s liable for motivating undertaking groups and undertaking undertaking targets to securely ship high quality services or products that meet buyer technical necessities inside finances and schedule utilizing efficient and environment friendly strategies to execute this disciplined pillar function. Offered to Dr. Jill Phillips, Undertaking Administration Group of Observe lead, and Dr. Alfred Wooten, EOD Division’s Undertaking Administration Pillar lead, for his or her help to the division and the command. They had been instrumental in furthering the undertaking administration course of and rigor for the division and offering priceless contributions to the command’s Undertaking Administration Technical Rigor Pillar. Their continued efforts to seek out efficiencies inside undertaking administration processes and supply documentation, coaching and helpful assets for the division proceed to make an enduring affect on EOD Division’s technical rigor in undertaking administration.
INTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD: This award acknowledges an worker who has supplied wonderful service to inside prospects. Offered to Austin Garruba for his help to the NSWC IHD journey group. Garruba receives common accolades from vacationers as he assists them of their endeavors. Garruba was additionally offered the Command Coin personally by Capt. Correll for taking an after-hours name the place a traveler’s flight was cancelled with no obtainable flights till the subsequent day. He was in a position to assist him in order that he may get dwelling in time to be along with his household for the 4th of July vacation.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD: This award acknowledges the achievements of a person or group who excelled in extending equal alternative to these needing federal employment or by helping federal workers in reaching their highest potential and productiveness. Offered to the Command Tradition Working Group: Becky D’Ambrosio, Lisa Griffith, Michelle Hinkle, Johnna Robinson, Shari Thomas, Barbara Wagner and Stuart White. The crew carried out a framework to drive a command tradition that displays NSWC IHD’s organizational tenets. They developed the content material for tradition steady studying and recognized and outlined the command’s values and signature behaviors. The group additionally developed the tradition marketing campaign “Stronger Collectively” to advertise and combine the values and signature behaviors of NSWC IHD.
CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AWARD: This award acknowledges efforts leading to vital enchancment made to administrative, enterprise, or technical processes completed by way of Lean and/or Six Sigma, yielding advantages in price, schedule, high quality and/or threat. Offered to the EOD Publications Sub-Built-in Product Staff (IPT) Leads Robert D. Breaux, Robin Breaux, Matthew Lohn and William R. Wilson, who served because the EOD Division leads for the SublPTs and co-led the efforts with representatives from PMS-408, with participation from different material consultants and the EOD service detachments. The management of their particular person IPTs and integration of their options right into a mixed EOD publications prioritization engine and dashboard allowed for better planning, execution and reporting of EOD publications.
CAPTAIN H. E. LACKEY AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE: Captain Henry E. Lackey was the NSWC IHD commanding officer from 1917-1920. This award is given to a person or crew who, on their very own time, gives vital contributions to the group. Offered to Janine Van Niekerk, a member of the RDT&E Division’s Analysis and Growth (R&D) Division, who has volunteered her time and help to “Out in Science, Expertise, Engineering, and Math (oSTEM).” oSTEM’s mission is to empower LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM to succeed personally, academically and professionally by cultivating environments and communities that nurture innovation, management and advocacy. Van Niekerk has been concerned with the group for nearly 10 years, starting when she was in school. After commencement, she labored because the logistics chair for his or her annual convention, and shortly after, grew to become their Director of Design. She is at present the Vice President of Advertising and marketing and Communications. This previous yr, Van Niekerk co-led a crew to launch their first scholarship program, which supplied $50,000 in scholarships to 11 LGBTQ+ college students finding out in a STEM subject.
EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS OPERATIONS: This award acknowledges people whose efficiency or achievements in enterprise operations are distinctive in nature, have resulted in a big organizational contribution, and have exceeded expectations for what’s required of the place. Basically, the person has helped evolve enterprise operations with a deal with leveraging new alternatives, enhancing mission readiness and reaching execution excellence within the face of a quickly altering warfighting surroundings. Offered to Eric Arcement, whose data in Chemical, Organic, and Radiological (CBR) Protection exhibit dedication and dedication because the RDT&E Division’s senior enterprise and engineering supervisor supporting Naval Sea Methods Command (NAVSEA). He oversees the associated fee, high quality and supply of all NAVSEA chemical and organic protection commodity areas supported by practically 50 authorities and over 100 contractor full-time workers throughout three warfare facilities and in additional than 10 areas around the globe. Arcement’s efforts have been essential in making certain that the usage of CBR threats are by no means a figuring out issue throughout adversarial engagements however that they at all times present the Navy with the benefit.
SPIRIT OF INDIAN HEAD AWARD – RISING STAR: This award acknowledges an worker or scholar who has lower than three years of employment with this command and has already contributed in a big method to our mission of their brief time with us. The contribution might be proactive initiative to enhance execution to incorporate product and course of, engagement in extra areas of curiosity of the command, drive to enhance self and their work areas/efforts, and being in help of Indian Head as a complete. The worker/scholar is seen by many as a rising star. Offered to Gabrielle Sandy, who’s a real rising star at NSWC IHD. This previous yr Sandy took the reigns because the lead check engineer for the Mark-54 MOD 2 torpedo program. Sandy stepped as much as oversee the warhead check program, laying out plans for qualifying this superior warhead in one of many Navy’s highest precedence packages. One instance of her effectiveness and drive to get the job achieved is stepping in when Northrop Grumman Protection 8 Methods wanted help within the growth and testing of the warhead Peripheral Initiator, an important element utilized in warhead initiation.
SPIRIT OF INDIAN HEAD AWARD – THE EMERGING LEGEND: Acknowledges an worker who’s inside 8-15 years of employment with Indian Head Division and who has immediately made a number of, vital contributions to our mission in several areas of the command and DoD/DoN efforts for our mission. This will embody growing the self-discipline, proficiency, excellence, and advantage of the warfighter by taking particulars to key places of work, transfers to a number of areas throughout the command, and supporting and specializing in excelling the Indian Head mission. The worker is distinguished as having the potential of being a future senior chief by friends and senior management. Offered to Dr. Demitrios Stamatis, who has grown into an rising legend throughout his tenure on the command. As a senior scientist in materials results, Stamatis has constructed novel capabilities, mentored much less skilled workers, and contributed to numerous energetics analysis packages at NSWC IHD since he started as an American Society of Engineering Training postdoctoral researcher in 2011. Since then, he spearheaded analysis efforts referring to chemical and organic weapon neutralization, reactive supplies and metallic powder formulations. He just lately helped develop shock initiation experiments on polymer certain explosives utilizing mild gasoline gun interrogated with ultrafast emission spectroscopy. Stamatis has printed a complete of 13 peer-reviewed journal articles and one patent throughout his profession and acquired two awards, one among which recommended him for his efforts to make sure a coworker’s security after a worksite damage. The management of those efforts has required him to work collaboratively each inside and outdoors of NSWC IHD, and he frequently interacts with scientists at different warfare facilities along with academia and business. Other than his scientific endeavors, Stamatis has additionally excelled in mentorship of much less skilled workers. He’s unmatched in his skill to encourage, information and help these round him and serves for instance of excellent character.
SPIRIT OF INDIAN HEAD AWARD — THE LEGEND: Acknowledges an worker who has served the Indian Head mission for 25 years or extra and has made repeated and vital impacts to the mission’s execution and workforce. Worker has immediately made a number of, vital contributions to the Indian Head mission by influencing not solely Indian Head features, but additionally DON and/or DoD associated mission areas. Worker has served internally and externally, representing the command and its mission with the very best proficiency and professionalism. Worker is distinguished as a senior chief by friends in senior management, the command, and the workforce. Lasting affect and legacy of worker’s profession contributions is obvious for the betterment of our mission execution now and into the longer term. Offered to Gary Williams, who has devoted his profession in loyal help of the command and its mission. Williams began working for the command in 1972 within the Electronics Division as an electronics apprentice. As a journeyman, Williams routinely operated past his grade by making fast and proper choices in troubleshooting digital instrumentation to attenuate expensive downtime of kit within the Ordnance Division on the then Naval Ordnance Station. Because the Ordnance Electronics Manufacturing department supervisor, he gives the required framework to encourage development, stability and high quality merchandise. Williams is a dwelling legend who has supplied high quality merchandise to our warfighters throughout the fleet for practically 5 many years. His data of ordnance electronics programs is unmatched; his stalwart focus, eager drawback fixing thoughts and singular drive to help the warfighter by way of these programs is exactly what a profession NSWC IHD skilled ought to characterize.
A.J. PERK OUTSTANDING OPERATOR/TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR: Throughout his lengthy tenure on the command, A.J. Perk was dedicated to offering prospects with wonderful services and products by “doing the job proper.” He was honest, agency, decisive and cared about worker pursuits. This award acknowledges a mannequin worker who serves for instance to others. This award is offered to Johnnie Hart, who’s the very best degree senior operator and material skilled on all Explosives & Energetics Division’s vertical mixing and grinding operations. He has been an important supply of knowledge throughout hazards analyses and the lead coaching useful resource for a lot of operators, technicians and engineers in mixing and grinding. Hart has lengthy been probably the most priceless useful resource within the forged plant. His depth and breadth of data have helped prepare many new operators and engineers and has been very important to all forged composite tasks. Hart might be counted on to go above and past the decision of obligation to make sure the work is finished proper.
This award can also be offered to Shane M. Buzby, who fixes operational and compliance points within the Cartridge Actuated Units check space, which frequently conducts pressing and mission essential check and analysis. Buzby does the proper factor even when nobody is watching and is devoted to serving the warfighter to the most effective of his skill. He has empowered different senior technicians and set the instance for youthful technicians who aspire to be leaders at some point.
ADMIRAL HAROLD R. STARK AWARD FOR INNOVATION: Because the Naval Inspector of Ordnance in control of the Naval Proving Grounds, Dahlgren, Virginia, and the Naval Powder Manufacturing unit, Indian Head, Maryland, Admiral Harold R. Stark grew to become the Chief of Naval Operations in 1939. This award acknowledges a person or group who advances the state-of-the-art of their subject of endeavor. Offered to the Analysis and Prototype for IED Defeat (RAPID) Staff: Valja Collingwood, Lee Foltz and Chad Smith. It acknowledges their help to the RAPID program to develop instruments and strategies for countering improvised explosive gadgets (IED). The D Division crew members created a brand new methodology in creating ways and strategies by making a circuit evaluation assemble, enabling an EOD technician to shortly establish and interpret complicated IED circuitry with ease. Their efforts have drastically enhanced the EOD warfighter’s in addition to the Public Security Bomb Disposal technician’s possibilities for fulfillment in defeating improvised threats.
JOE L. BROWNING AWARD FOR MANAGERIAL EXCELLENCE: Joe L. Browning was NSWC IHD’s first Technical Director from 1962 – 1975. This award acknowledges a person who demonstrates modern management rules and administration abilities of teaching and teaming within the growth of personnel and their accomplishments. Offered to Sara Gunderson, Deputy Comptroller, who’s a visionary that freely shares her modern views for the Comptroller Division, the command, Warfare Facilities Headquarters and the Navy’s mission. Gunderson’s help to the Comptroller within the planning and administration of the division is unparalleled, and she or he excels at making every day operational choices in addition to periodic complicated strategic choices. Gunderson creates a piece surroundings that motivates personnel to excel of their jobs and take part in drawback fixing classes.
DR. GEORGE W. PATTERSON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENT: As chief chemist and powder skilled, Dr. George Patterson is remembered for his work throughout his 41-year tenure, together with creating smokeless and flashless gun powders. This award honors a person for excellent technical accomplishment supporting the command mission and advancing some space of expertise. Offered to Terrence Connell, who was in a position to set up a brand new, a lot wanted functionality at NSWC IHD in 2021: a ramjet check stand that delivers excessive enthalpy air to a propulsion machine that replicates supersonic flight within the Mach 2-3 vary. The brand new facility that Connell designed and constructed permits NSWC IHD scientists to review ramjet efficiency beneath supersonic situations. Within the face of great adversity, together with a world-wide pandemic, provide chain shortages, contactor delays and a dangerous electrical storm, Connell coordinated the preliminary calibration and gear upkeep with contractors who provided the industrial-grade gear and assembled and carried out all of the work himself, placing in lengthy days to show himself use the brand new functionality. Connell was pushed to perform the mission at NSWC IHD regardless of the adversity he confronted to be able to give the warfighter each benefit.
ROBERT B. DASHIELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE: Ensign Robert B. Dashiell was NSWC IHD’s first commanding officer and is understood for establishing the ability, together with supervision of constructing and acquisition of employees and supplies. He was additionally a specialist in gun mechanical design and invented the Dashiell rapid-fire breech. This award honors a person who inside the previous yr has made a big contribution to the mission or operation of the exercise. Offered to Craig Pilecki, the Principal for Security for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Weapons and Explosives Integration, whose efforts have ensured the chance of damage or loss of life to the fleet or platform is as little as doable. Pilecki demonstrated distinctive skill and efficiency whereas supporting the Gerald R. Ford’s Superior Weapons Elevator program, sustaining an especially tough schedule and offering advisable mitigations to cut back excessive dangers to the Gerald R. Ford’s ship’s pressure. Pilecki has demonstrated an distinctive skill to resolve vital issues and meet tough schedules on a brand new, technologically superior system.
NSWC IHD — a subject exercise of the Naval Sea Methods Command and a part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Institution — is the chief in ordnance, energetics, and EOD options. The Division focuses on energetics analysis, growth, testing, analysis, in-service help, manufacturing and disposal; and gives warfighters options to detect, find, entry, establish, render protected, recuperate, exploit and eliminate explosive ordnance threats.
