Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
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Acquisition & Logistics Excellence Two Honored with DON Awards for Excellence in Test tributions have made NAVAIR a leader in weapon systems and Evaluation test and evaluation.” NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JUNE 27, 2017) On a more personal note, Madsen said Twesme is just en- NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION, joyable to work with. “He is one of those super-smart guys POINT MUGU, Calif.—Two Naval Air Warfare Center Weap- who is passionate about his work,” Madsen said. “He has ons Division employees were honored with Department of original ideas, concepts, and technical solutions, and he’s the Navy Test and Evaluation Awards during a June 22 cer- also quick to lend a hand.” emony in Point Mugu, California. Rick Quade, DON Deputy for Test and Evaluation and acting Alex Ordway, SeaVex/Perdix project lead, earned the DON Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Small Program Outstanding Tester Award for his demon- Test and Evaluation, traveled to Point Mugu, California, to strated expertise related to SeaVex/Perdix, expendable mi- deliver the awards in person. cro-unmanned aerial vehicles, while supporting the Strategic Capabilities Office. “There is a challenge in understanding the value of our people,” Quade said. “We have a national treasure in our “Mr. Ordway’s expertise, enthusiasm, and dogged determi- workforce. I am constantly amazed at—and a little bit jealous nation encouraged a small team of technical engineers and of—how smart our folks really are.” service members … to combine and transform” existing U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force systems, putting them into service NAVAIR won four of the nine DON T&E awards; nominations in “ways the world has never seen before,” according to his came from the six systems commands and all Navy and nomination, tendered by his su- pervisor, Kurt Statts. Ordway was the only U.S. Navy member of the test team. The project’s graduation exercise was not only successful, it was con- ducted in front of a media crew from “60 Minutes.” Joseph Twesme earned the award for Technical Excellence at a T&E Facility or Range. Twesme is a chemical engineer and the lead infrared target modeling subject matter expert for the Weapons Environments and Sim- ulation branch of the Integrated Battlespace Arena. According to Twesme’s nomina- tion, which was submitted by his coworker Robert Madsen, “Joe has dedicated his career to T&E of weapons systems in the areas of IR scene generation, soft- Rick Quade, Department of the Navy Deputy for Test and Evaluation and acting Assistant ware-in-the-loop systems, and Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, presents Alex Ord- hardware-in-the-loop systems. way, right, with the 2017 DON Small Program Outstanding Tester Award during a June 22 His dedication, passion, sound ceremony in Point Mugu, California. engineering principles, and con- U.S. Navy photo 1 Defense AT&L: September-October 2017 Acquisition & Logistics Excellence Call for Nominations for the 13th Annual Secretary of Defense Performance Based Logistics (PBL) Awards Bill Kobren Defense Acquisition University Director, Logistics & Sustainment Center March 28, 2017 DoD has issued a call for nominations for the 13th Annual Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics Awards in a March 22, 2017 (Performing the Duties of the) Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technol- ogy and Logistics (AT&L) memo. According to this memo, “Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) is a key Department of Defense strategy for deliver- ing integrated, affordable, performance-based product support solutions designed to deliver warfighter require- ments and reduce cost. The tenets of PBL incentivize productivity and innovation in industry and government. The department instituted the PBL Awards to enhance PBL awareness and encourage PBL excellence. Prior winners have achieved superior performance for the warfighter while controlling cost growth, addressing long-term afford- ability, and promoting industry competition and innovation. Through the PBL Awards, the department recognizes organizations responsible for outstanding achievements in PBL development, implementation, and execution. The awards honor outstanding PBL performance in three categories: System Level, Subsystem Level, and Component Level. The winners in each category will be acknowledged at the Spring 2018 Office of the Secretary of Defense Product Support Manager Workshop, followed by formal presentation of the award at their command.“ Nominations for this prestigious award are due by September 15, 2017. Detailed submission instructions and criteria are contained in the announcement memorandum, which is available in the “Award Winning Programs” section of the DoD Performance Based Logistics Community of Practice (PBL CoP). U.S. Marine Corps operational test agencies. The CH-53K strategic deterrent triad—mission-ready airmen controlling King Stallion Integrated Test Team and Lt. Cmdr. Eric Martin highly survivable, nuclear-armed Minuteman III interconti- received their awards in a ceremony held in Patuxent River, nental ballistic missiles. Maryland, on May 24. Read more about the ceremony at http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home. Depot-level maintenance of the boosters, launch control NAVAIRNewsStory&id=6548. centers, launch facilities, and key support equipment for the Minuteman III is performed by Hill’s 309th Missile Main- ICBM Country: Ogden Air Logistics Complex tenance Group, part of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex. Restoring Air Force’s Nuclear Launch Facilities 75TH AIR BASE WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JUNE 27, 2017) The Air Force has 150 launch facilities and 15 associated Micah Garbarino launch control centers “deployed in place” at each of three HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah—Editor’s Note: Hill Air Force Base locations—Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; Minot units are helping ensure the nuclear triad remains an effective AFB, North Dakota; and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. The strategic deterrent now and into the future. This is the first in a airmen and ICBMs are on strategic alert around the clock two part series. to respond to orders from the President. For more than 50 years, rural American pastures in the Great To comply with the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Plains have housed a key leg in the air-, land-, and sea-based Treaty) treaty, the U.S. is reducing the number of ICBMs that Defense AT&L: September-October 2017 2 Acquisition & Logistics Excellence are on strategic alert from 450 to 400, leaving 50 launch After the booster PDM is completed at Hill AFB, it is returned facilities in reserve. This enables the Air Force to plan and to the field and placed in a newly repaired launch facility, execute a programmed depot maintenance effort for the which is then returned to strategic alert to make way for the first time in the life of the weapon system. next launch facility to receive PDM. The launch facilities are underground silos, each with a 110- “As a result of the hard work and diligence of the depot and ton blast door for protection. All of the silos are networked field maintainers, supported by government and contractor together and controlled by missile combat crew members supply-chain partners and guided by exceptional engineers in underground blast-proof launch control centers. and program managers from the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, the nation can rest easy knowing the Minuteman III This is the first time since 1971, when the Minuteman III and associated systems will remain ready, alert, and combat- first became operational at Minot AFB, that a portion of the effective,” said Jackson. Minuteman III fleet is being relieved of its combat assign- ment long enough to receive PDM in the same way aircraft 2016 Nuclear Deterrence Operations, Nuclear & have for decades. Missile Operations Awards Winners Announced SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JULY 5, 2017) “We’re taking advantage of that drawdown to restore vital WASHINGTON—Air Force officials recently named the win- hardness-critical systems to full mission capability—repair ners of the 2016 Nuclear Deterrence Operations Award and water leaks, mitigate corrosion, and generally posture the the Nuclear & Missile Operations Award. weapons system to remain safe, secure, and reliable until the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program (next generation The Nuclear Deterrence Operations Award recognizes the ICBM) can achieve full mission capability in the mid-2030s,” outstanding accomplishments of airmen contributing to said Col. Eric Jackson, the 309th MMXG commander. nuclear deterrence operations. “These are all things we couldn’t do as effectively—or at all—while the launch facility was on strategic alert.” The Nuclear & Missile Operations Award honors officers who made the most significant contribution to the nuclear The entire Minuteman III fleet will be inspected and restored and missile operations career field. during the course of an eight-year cycle. The maintenance process takes about 50 days for each launch facility or “Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Nuclear Deter- launch control center. rence Operations Awards and the Nuclear & Missile Op- erations Awards. We have airmen doing a phenomenal job The effort targets four major areas through an eight-year each and every day delivering our nation a robust, reliable, cycle: launch facility, launch control center, solid-rocket flexible, and survivable nuclear deterrent. Our winners are booster (stages 1, 2 and 3), and liquid-propellant