Ceremony honors Dahlgren Division employees

Ninety-two individuals and 23 groups were honored with 18 different Navy and Dahlgren Division awards at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division's (NSWCDD) annual honor awards ceremony on Jan. 20.

"The individuals and groups we recognize today have given their all and exercised their skills to deliver solutions critical to supporting our homeland and national defense," said NSWCDD commander Capt. Michael Smith.

NSWC Technical Director Stephen Mitchell, guest speaker at the event held on the University of Mary Washington Dahlgren campus, recalled that when he spoke at last year's ceremony, it was the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's presidential inaugural.

Kennedy's challenge to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," is still applicable today, said Mitchell.

"You are all serving your country. Today, we're in tough and uncertain times but the best thing you can do is to continue working together across the Warfare Centers, System Commands, the Navy, and DoD and collaborate for the warfighter."

"You have gone above and beyond to ensure that the command delivers the critical products and technology solutions necessary to ensure troop readiness in theater and across the fleet," Smith told honorees.

"From unmanned vehicles and surveillance and ship protection systems to asymmetric technology solutions and operations support - the talent represented here, as well as across NSWC Dahlgren is second to none."

NSWCDD technical director Carl Siel and Capt. Smith presented the John Adolphus Dahlgren Award, the command's highest award, to Michael Gallier and Stuart Moran.

The Dahlgren Award is named for Rear Adm. John A. Dahlgren - who is considered the "Father of Modern Naval Ordnance" - and honors individuals with significant achievement in science, engineering or management.

Gallier, deputy head of the Strategic and Weapon Control Systems Department (K), was honored for his 21 years of leadership and management at NSWCDD, characterized by a high ethical standard and an ability to lead and inspire others by example.

Moran, division head in the Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Department (Q), was cited for his leadership that ultimately led to the development of NSWCDD's Directed Energy and Electric Weapons capability.

"Thank you for your contributions, your unrelenting drive, and your steadfast dedication to meeting our mission goals," said Siel, speaking to individual awardees and members of groups recognized with awards.

"As these awards demonstrate, our many contributions in the areas of engineering, research and development, testing and evaluation are truly amazing - encompassing weapons development and systems integration that support our current fleet as well as leading edge engineering advancements and technological discoveries vital to supporting our future fleet."

C. J. Rorie Award

Lt. Allison Moon and Lt. Cmdr. Robert Baarson, received the C.J. Rorie Award, established to recognize military personnel assigned to NSWCDD whose excellence in the performance of their duties contributed significantly to the effectiveness of the Division's military operation.

As officer in charge of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 12, Detachment Dahlgren, Moon provided focused research, development, testing and engineering mission support as well as 24-hour first-response capability for the National Capital region.

Baarson was recognized for service as operations engineer for NSWCDD's Warfare Systems Department (W). He served as the command's senior military leader, general military training officer, and DDG 1000 operations engineer.

Bernard Smith Award

Three Dahlgren employees were recognized with the Bernard Smith Award, established to recognize individuals with exceptional, significant and technical contributions in engineering or science, especially those made in the face of unusual odds or significant opposition.

* Frank Dixon, head of the Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Branch, was lauded for his efforts to further NSWCDD's counter-improvised explosive device technology and programs. His dedication to the mission took him to Iraq for 75 days where he served as science and technology modernization advisor to Joint Task Force Troy. His efforts directly led to the deployment of two counter-IED systems to save warfighters' lives.

* Charles Coryell was recognized for his leadership within the Warfare Systems Department (W). His extensive knowledge of the Aegis Combat System in an operational environment has resulted in the identification and resolution of a multitude of Fleet readiness issues at a time when particular focus has been placed on the effectiveness of the Navy's combat system capability by the most senior Navy organizations.

* Meredith Bondurant, a scientist in the Asymmetric Systems Department (Z), was cited for her efforts to instill a culture of safety, security and personnel accountability in the Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Defense Division laboratories. She implemented a bio-safety program that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed "top notch" during an unannounced surprise inspection.

ILIR Excellence Award

Houra Rais and Dr. George Rogers from the Asymmetric Systems Department (Z) received the In-house Laboratory Independent Research (ILIR) Excellence Award, granted to an individual or group whose research results exhibit outstanding technical or scientific merit, are relevant to the mission and thrusts of NSWCDD, and will have a positive effect on other efforts in the command.

Rogers and Rais were honored for their project entitled "Polarimetric Calibration at Sub-wavelength Resolutions," which dealt with multiple facets of the problem of analyzing polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (polSAR) data, where the resolution is comparable to the transmitted wavelength. They developed a technique to estimate the polarization channel dependent offsets of individual scattering centers.

This technique serves as a basis for formulating a self-consistent approach to the polSAR registration/calibration problem in this regime.

In recognition of the complexity of the overall problem of exploiting polSAR data at sub-wavelength resolutions, they have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the University of South Carolina to bring a multidisciplinary team to bear on this overall problem in future work.

Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Awards

Twelve NSWCDD employees were presented with the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

* Dawn Murphy, NSWCDD Enterprise Resource Planning Program Manager and Site Implementation Lead, was cited for her leadership and oversight that has established the framework for a successful ERP deployment.

* John Bibel from the Engagement Systems Department (G) was recognized for his innovation and diligence that has advanced NSWCDD's reputation as an expert missile systems engineering and integration organization.

* Anthony D'Alessandro with G Department was honored for his role in the development of NSWCDD as the undisputed leader for government-designed and -developed gun fire control systems.

* Debra Lindal from K Department was recognized for her systems engineering and program management support to Strategic Systems Programs and NSWCDD, which are tasked with the software development of both the fire control system for the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile and launch control system for the SSGN Attack Weapon Control System.

* Colleen Johnson with K Department was recognized for her work in developing software for the Tomahawk Weapon Control System.

* Jerry Howle from Q Department was cited for his leadership as the acting counter-IED Area Director within the Directed Energy Warfare Office, in particular his coordination of the operational deployment of two highly successful counter-IED systems.

* Michael Slocum with Q Department was honored for his work to develop a methodology to statistically assess the risk of electromagnetic interference to complex weapons and control systems within an enclosed electrically reflective cavity.

* Penny Graninger from W Department was recognized for her leadership within the Aegis and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense test and evaluation communities.

* Timothy Neel from W Department was cited for his technical contributions to the design of the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense capability. Due to his leadership, the program has successfully completed numerous trade studies, System Concept Review, System Requirements Review, System Design Review, Preliminary Design Reviews, and initial European site design phases.

* Jennifer Clift with Z Department was honored for her efforts to develop a stronger Irregular Warfare (IW) capability within NSWCDD, with the goal of ultimately establishing an IW Center of Excellence at Dahlgren in the future.

* Raymond Draper with Z Department was granted the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his dedication in providing over 27 years of systems and software engineering support in the intelligence and communications arena.

* Michael Pompeii from Z Department was cited for his work to expand the CBR Defense Division's science and engineering capability, and to develop equipment and procedures that have increased the Fleet's CBR defense capability. He spearheaded several cost reduction initiatives that simultaneously achieved multi-million dollar savings for the Navy and increased Fleet CBR Defense readiness.

Dr. James E. Colvard Award

The Dr. James E. Colvard Award recognizes individuals who, through their leadership, have made substantial contributions to the development of NSWCDD as a technical institution. This award is named in honor of Dr. James E. Colvard, who was technical director of the Naval Weapons Laboratory from 1973 to 1974 and the Naval Surface Weapons Center from 1974 to 1980. There are four awardees for 2011.

* Dr. Wayne Chepren, senior engineer in G Department's Lethality and Effectiveness Branch, was cited for his work to advance the understanding of materials properties. As he has helped solve complex Navy, Marine Corps and joint service problems, he has helped save lives and brought credit to NSWCDD as a leading technical institution.

* Ronnie Stapleton from Q Department was cited for his exceptional radar systems engineering leadership and his crucial role in the development of NSWCDD as the undisputed leader for radar systems design and development.

* Alvin Murphy in W Department was recognized for work in combat systems engineering and system architecture engineering, particularly his leadership and guidance to the Product Line Systems Engineering and Advanced Capability Build teams in the development and definition of future Navy cross-program products.

* James Moreland was honored for his leadership and contributions as chief engineer in the Asymmetric Systems Department (Z).

Dr. Charles J. Cohen Science and Technology Excellence Award

The Dr. Charles J. Cohen Science and Technology Excellence Award is given to those individuals whose work for NSWCDD has had a fundamental impact on science or technology and a measurable impact on capability. The award is named in honor of Dr. Charles Cohen, a distinguished scientist and mathematician at Dahlgren from 1944 to 1978.

Dr. Cohen was renowned for his pioneering work in exterior ballistics and satellite geodesy. Awardees for 2011 included Douglas Crowder, Dr. Greg Tait, Dr. John Lawton, James Africa and Dr. Timothy Burgin.

* Douglas Crowder from Q Department was recognized for his development of a novel Radio Frequency (RF) distribution architecture and associated high performance multi-beam arrays. Leveraging this architecture, Crowder initiated development of novel multi-beam arrays, resulting in significantly lower cost arrays that use substantially less deck space. The introduction of these high-performance multi-beam arrays and the associated RF distribution architecture was a groundbreaking effort that will have a major impact on Navy concepts of operations for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, significantly improving battle force situational awareness.

* Dr. Greg Tait with Q Department was cited for his success in advancing the state of the art relative to electromagnetic interference technology. He developed a methodology to statistically assess the risk of electromagnetic interference to complex weapons and control systems, greatly increasing the ability to assess risk in this important area.

* Dr. John Lawton from W Department was honored for his pioneering efforts to quickly evaluate and fill critical Navy Ballistic Missile Defense operational "gaps." He developed and integrated revolutionary algorithms that significantly improve the flight performance of the U.S. Navy's Standard Missile against stressing ballistic missile threats.

* James Africa with W Department was recognized for his invention of alternative techniques to assist in the identification of ballistic missile tracks. These new techniques, for which he has a patent application pending, have the potential to provide non-BMD equipped systems the capability to improve discrimination of air and ballistic targets, enabling them to detect and identify ballistic missile threats.

* Dr. Timothy Burgin, a lead chemist with Z Department, was cited for his work to design and prepare lab quantities of some of the world's most technologically advanced super absorbents and for leading a team of scientists and engineers to bring the preparation of these polymers to production scale. This achievement makes possible the operational testing and fielding of these advanced materials for use against chemical and biological agents. His work in this area has advanced the field of super-absorbent polymers and has helped to reduce the Navy and DoD's capability gaps in this critical area.

Technology-to-Sea Excellence Award

The command's Technology-to-Sea Excellence Award is given to an individual or group whose science and technology base work has made a notable impact on the Navy warfighting capability. Individual recipients for 2011 include James Robbins, William Clark and James Jensen.

* James Robbins with G Department developed several devices in FY11 to benefit U.S. Marines employing the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS). Robbins designed, prototyped and field-tested a new boresight verification device (BVD), including a new boresight verification magnifier (BVM). These are now being fielded as part of the EFSS basic issue items gear that Marines use to accurately boresight the EFSS mortar system. The BVD/BVM improves accuracy threefold while simplifying boresight procedures, and reduces cost tenfold.

* William Clark with Z Department was cited for his technical leadership and contributions to the Navy's CBR Defense program. Clark is an expert within the Navy and joint communities in the design of collective protection equipment and systems, especially in the development and integration of new and emerging technologies to shipboard platforms.

* James Jensen from Z Department was recognized for his development and deployment of remote telemetric devices and supporting network architectures.

Award of Excellence in Systems Engineering

The Award of Excellence in Systems Engineering recognizes systems engineers whose leadership has contributed significantly to customers getting what they need and to systems engineering as a discipline within NSWCDD. There were 13 recipients for 2011.

* Matthew Henning led the new console design for the MK 160 Gun Computer System, effectively reducing ship manning and footprint requirements for the MK 34 Gun Weapon System. Faced with constraints imposed by the Advanced Capability Build 12 Common Display System console design, Henning led the design of a new controller that met the requirements of a gun fire control operator that easily integrated to the new consoles that are in procurement today.

* Benjamin Tritt supports the development and integration of the Littoral Combat System Surface Warfare Mission Package. Because of his proficiency with system engineering trade studies, Tritt was recently selected to participate in a Warfare Capability Baseline assessment in support of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Fleet.

* Jason Taubel has helped develop technologies that have saved American and Coalition lives on the front lines of the Global War on Terrorism.

* Joseph Berenotto was recognized for his technical contributions to system engineering for the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile Weapon Control System.

* James Callison provides technical leadership and expertise for all the Tomahawk system requirements activities in the Strike Weapons Systems Division, including the development, management and approval activities. In addition, he spearheads the external interface activities between Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System and Tomahawk Command and Control System.

* Peggy Thompson has provided outstanding leadership and technical contributions to the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile Mission Planning and SSBN Fire Control operational capabilities and products. Her efforts, insight and determination have substantially contributed to U.S. Strategic Command and the SLBM fleet successfully meeting their strategic deterrent requirements and commitments.

* James Mims is a recognized national leader in the radar engineering community and has advanced that leadership into the areas of electronic attack/protect systems and in kill chain analyses.

* Randall Cottle has led the Rolling Airframe Missile electromagnetic vulnerability test integration process, in particular the design and implementation of the battery pack. In a three-month intensive effort, Cottle designed, fabricated parts, constructed and tested a more than capable power system in the E3 Assessment and Evaluation Branch's EMVAP Lab. The all-up system will be able to provide numerous hours of data analysis during the high profile RAM EMV test.

* Kimberly Elder has distinguished herself as an expert in combat systems certification and has devoted countless hours in providing guidance for the Installation Readiness Decision implementation and assessment process. Elder has garnered senior Navy leadership support for a disciplined systems engineering approach in the development and execution of the In-Phase Combat System Certification Process.

* William Sealand has provided technical solutions and recommendations for numerous initiatives across many combat systems. He worked across multiple NSWCDD departments, directly with the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems, and ship's force on the lead destroyer to successfully integrate an advanced Undersea Warfare System within the Aegis Combat System.

* Jerico Slavin is the Navy technical lead for the ACB12 B/L 9 Combat Systems Engineering. His leadership and recommendations related to the definition and implementation of Installation Readiness Decision Reviews has been instrumental to Fleet confidence in this product.

* Walter Bengtson has made significant contributions in systems engineering analysis for a broad spectrum of projects across DoD. Bengtson's constant mentoring of junior system engineers is helping to ensure that NSWCDD remains a leader in systems engineering.

*Arturo Lopez was recognized for his outstanding mechanical engineering efforts, his out-of-the box concept and technology development, and his ability to design novel and complex solutions under extreme schedule pressure.

Award of Excellence for Software Engineering

Beginning in 2011, NSWCDD added a new annual award to recognize software engineers at the command who have made major contributions to the Navy or DoD in the field of software engineering, and to NSWCDD's recognition as a software engineering organization.

Recipients of the award must be recognized within the Navy or DoD, as well as by their peers and supervisors as leaders at Dahlgren in software engineering. In addition, the award emphasizes one or more of the following criteria: leadership in the field - originality of contributions; breadth of work; demonstrated ability to deliver products on time and budget; impact on technology or methodology; patents/publications; and contributions to software engineering as a discipline at NSWCDD or DoD.

The first employees to receive this recognition are Mark Turner and Michael Lim.

* Turner made key contributions to the development and delivery of the Battle Management System to the warfighter. His technical competence has led to the development of this family of systems, which is deployed today in the Global War on Terror.

* Lim substantially improved NSWCDD's software engineering capability for integrating weapons and sensors to meet urgent and evolving national needs. He led the development of the Cooperative Communication Control Core Engagement Software framework that was developed from several systems, which were delivered to warfighters in collaboration with NSWCDD Engagement Department engineers and program managers.

Paul J. Martini Award

The Paul J. Martini Award recognizes individuals whose dedication and excellence of performance in a support function made a significant contribution to NSWCDD. The award's namesake is Paul J. Martini, who headed the Engineering Support Directorate of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory from November 1951 to December 1973. There are 16 recipients of this award for 2011.

* Robert Graham has contributed to NSWCDD's security posture through his expertise in the areas of anti-terrorism force protection, personnel security, and physical security.

* Wendy Hornbaker has been tasked with establishing the Acquisition Liaison Office from the ground up and is successfully guiding the contracting and program management disciplines through the acquisition planning stages by bridging the communication gap between the program offices and the Contracts Division.

* Megan Maciejewski was recognized for her organization-wide impact as the lead staffing advisor within Human Resources. Most recently, this has included her leadership in helping the command navigate through the myriad of changes associated with the Office of Personnel Management's hiring reform.

* James Sherman was commended for his contributions to the successful implementation of the Blanket Purchase Agreement process, and for his outstanding teaming and leadership efforts with establishing the corporate centralized Enterprise Resource Planning Acquisition Office.

* Revonna Waring was recognized for her technical competence, professionalism and proactive approach as the command's Inventory Accuracy Officer working closely with the Explosives Safety Officer, the Range Safety Director, the Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity, the Naval Operational Logistics Support Center, and the Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board to support Dahlgren's culture of explosive safety operations.

* Karen Yeeles was lauded as "a role model for NSWCDD's secretarial workforce." She trains and mentors through her efforts on the team that instructs the command's Naval Correspondence Course, as well as through hosting regular meetings with the Engagement Systems Department's secretarial team on topics of interest.

* Shannan Hammonds was honored for her contributions to the Maritime Warfare Control Systems Division. Her efforts have served to strengthen the organization and ensure the integrity of its financial operations.

* Marjorie Lawson was cited for her sustained excellence, professionalism and dedication, which have been critical to the smooth operation of the Strategic and Weapon Control Systems Department office.

* Brandy Anderson was recognized for her talent and creativity as graphics specialist for Q Department. Her development of the department's graphical design products and branding has been instrumental in the strategic initiative of external engagement.

* Robert Coxon was recognized for his leadership of the design, development and acquisition of the Mobile HERO system. This state-of-the-art system will serve as an extremely valuable resource as the Electromagnetic Effects Division continues to ensure that it remains a world-class E3 organization.

* Shannon Layton, an information technology specialist for the Directed Energy Division, was cited for IT support and leadership, which was pivotal in helping G Department to be the first to achieve 100 percent compliance for the 2010 Command Performance Inspection.

* Darrell Craft was cited for performance and leadership in the development of key information assurance plans and processes to ensure W Department information technology is certified, accredited and maintained in the best possible information assurance posture.

* Patsy Stevenson provided outstanding support to W Department and Q Department for various program acquisition requirements utilizing the Purchase Card Program.

* Charlotte Gaither, secretary for the Asymmetric Capability Development Division, has taken on numerous additional responsibilities and collateral duties, while training a new staff of branch-level secretaries and continuing to work on completion of her administrative professional certificate.

* Nichole Langa provides critical financial operations support to the Counter-Narcoterrorism Technology Program Office and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During a challenging year of evolving financial processes, Langa has processed large numbers of requests to send funding to a variety of sources and diligently followed up to ensure the funding was received in a timely manner.

* Lynda Lyles was recognized for her administrative support in Z Department and was praised for her awareness, breadth of knowledge, positive attitude and persistence in "getting jobs done right the first time."

Distinguished Community Service Award

NSWCDD's Distinguished Community Service Award recognizes individuals and groups who make unique contributions to their communities through volunteer service. The award focuses public attention on these outstanding and innovative volunteer efforts. There were six awardees for 2011.

Nominees must have rendered exceptional volunteer service that resulted in a significant benefit to the community (local, county or state). The following are examples of categories where service may have been performed: cultural enrichment, education, environmental conservation, health and human services, mobilization of volunteers, public safety, youth services, or workplace volunteer activities.

* Margaret Regan is a volunteer for Rebuilding Together, a program to provide elderly and disabled persons with necessary repairs and improvements to their homes that would have been otherwise unaffordable or unmanageable. Regan's volunteer service to Disability Resources has enabled many disabled individuals to obtain badly needed medical equipment including ramps, wheelchairs and walkers. And through her service to Micah Ministries, Regan has provided countless meals to the homeless and hungry.

* Tina Lynn has volunteered for youth programs in the Stafford and Fredericksburg areas for over 15 years. She has supported Boys Scouts of America, Awana Clubs of America, Stafford High School Band, Thurman-Brisben Homeless Shelter, and the American Cancer Society.

* Jessica Delgado has worked to establish relationships between the Hispanic Association and charitable organizations. As NSWCDD's Hispanic Emphasis Program Manager, Delgado coordinated participation in the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Hispanic Scientists Annual National Leadership Conference, offering outreach to students of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and helping them develop their leadership and academic skills.

* George Durling has volunteered in support of local Boy Scout Troop 191 for many years and is currently the Troop Master. He plans and executes special events, all in addition to his routine leadership duties to keep the troop going. Durling serves as a responsible mentor for young boys and encourages them to strive to meet their potential.

* Samuel Freytes-Rivera has supported the Thurman Brisben Center homeless shelter, devoting numerous hours of his personal time to the care and feeding of the city's homeless citizens.

* Marietto Jeffries is active in heightening the awareness of the benefits that come with diversity within NSWCDD and the Asymmetric Systems Department. He is also active with his church, Blacks in Government and the Dahlgren Yacht Club.

Leadership Award for Employee Development

Seven NSWCDD employees received the Leadership Award for Employee Development for 2011. The award recognizes individuals who, through their leadership and commitment, have made exemplary contributions to the development of others. An individual receiving this award is recognized as a role model for creating a positive and supportive work environment for continuous employee development, building employee commitment to the organization and its core values, and fostering employee motivation and overall well-being.

* Charles Flemmings has gone to great lengths to mentor employees that he supervises in G Department and to initiate efforts that improve employee performance.

* Henry Ashton was commended for his commitment to the continuous development of numerous NSWCDD employees, both new and experienced, in K Department.

* Dr. Lonnie Carpenter mentors journeyman engineers in Q Department to help them grow in experience and ability. His knowledge and experience have provided a solid foundation for his teams and a framework upon which each member can grow and excel.

* Michael Parrish provides guidance and mentoring for personnel assigned to the Computer Program Management Group in W Department, resulting in a professional, flexible, and dedicated cadre of employees. Parrish also mentored numerous junior personnel during developmental assignments in the CPM group and implemented a program to team junior personnel with CPM group members for visits to Aegis ships in order to increase their understanding of the Aegis fleet.

* Laura Viventi-Collins has mentored junior engineers and supported personnel recruitment, retention and development within W Department. Her mentorship approach spans the recruitment, new employee orientation and career development phases of the junior engineers she sponsors. She also provides advanced technical training to journeyman engineers assigned to the Common Aviation Command and Control Systems program and other Marine Corps-related technical work.

* Michael Jones has demonstrated a steady commitment to employees in his branch in Z Department, to help them develop and prosper as individuals and as members of a larger team. In addition, his efforts to recruit and mentor Wounded Warriors and students with disabilities have enabled NSWCDD to tap an under-utilized source of talent.

* Ronald Roller leads Z Department's CBR Defense Waterfront Fleet Support West Coast Team to foster a team environment that is loyal, caring, encouraging and compassionate.

Award of Excellence for Program Leadership

The Award of Excellence for Program Leadership recognizes project managers and program directors who have made major contributions to the Navy, Department of Defense, or other government organizations, as a result of demonstrated excellence in program management.

Ten NSWCDD employees are recognized for 2011. Awardees are commended for their technical acumen and as leaders in program management. Excellence in customer satisfaction, demonstrated corporate perspective, and a recognized impact in a Dahlgren-wide role are the primary criteria for this award.

* Christian Clifford was recognized for his leadership and guidance in developing and fielding Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability. Clifford's success has been his ability to work effectively across several departments and within the Missile Defense community, building the synergy of these technical institutions under the Aegis BMD program.

* Robert Dibble made significant contributions as the program manager of the Department of Homeland Security's Northern Border Integration Demonstration (NBID) Program. The NBID program provides federal, state and local border patrol and public safety officials the ability to access data from multiple sources and collaborate in the Operational Integration Center (OIC) located in Selfridge, Mich. Dibble's leadership allowed the team to overcome several programmatic challenges, which resulted in a successful OIC grand opening in March 2011.

* Harry Dreany is the program manager of the Collaborative Online Reconnaissance Provider/Operationally Responsive Attack Link (CORPORAL) Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration. CORPORAL provides situational awareness and fire support to small Marine Corps units using a distributed network. Dreany led a collaborative NSWCDD and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division team that included multiple government and industry partners. His program leadership allowed CORPORAL to meet schedule, costing $14 million less than the original industry led estimate, and to obtain transition agreements for four key technologies.

* Randy Garbee has provided critical technical and programmatic leadership as deputy program director for the Strategic Systems Design and Implementation Division.

* Jeffrey Acree is leading the integration of the Electronic Support Measures subsystem into the T-2 and T-4 test aircraft. Acree was a key enabler to the success of recent flight tests and timely fielding of fleet capability and has been invaluable in enhancing ESM production readiness by working with contractors to address the lack of adequate Factory Test Equipment and the obsolescence of the Digital Measurement Unit.

* Kyle Jones was recognized for his program management as head of the Warfare Systems Program Office. Jones' leadership and initiative in managing the portfolio of surface warfare combat systems programs has resulted in significant growth while maintaining excellence in customer satisfaction during a period of programmatic challenges within the Navy acquisition community.

* Houng Pham is the technical and programmatic leader of NSWCDD's Common Aviation Command and Control System team. As the Marine Corps Program Office Deputy Program Manager, Pham provides leadership in the development of laboratory capabilities fundamental to successful demonstration and integration of new Marine Corps systems.

* Timothy Berry has been influential in the advancement of asymmetric capabilities to meet critical and unique operational challenges. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership and technical excellence in his role as deputy director of the Special Systems Program. Through his dedication, NSWCDD has been able to develop and field a variety of innovative capabilities that directly contribute to the nation's ability to win the War on Terrorism and support our service members on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, enabling them to return home safely.

* Mark Brown has contributed to programs that protect the Fleet from biological threats. He ensures that Navy needs are addressed in the joint biological detection programs through collaborating across the Navy stakeholders to understand the requirements, and with the joint program office to ensure those requirements are met throughout the biological detection systems' life cycle.

Human Awareness Award

The Human Awareness Award recognizes individuals who have been instrumental in improving interpersonal relations or in recognizing individual worth and dignity through creativity and personal initiative.

For 2011, five NSWCDD employees received this award.

* Ray Poff, a branch head in the Engagement Systems Department, was commended for his commitment toward improving interpersonal relations and the recognition of human dignity and worth through selfless service both on the job and in the community.

* Melanie Lashus from Q Department has been instrumental in the establishment and implementation of the Work Life 4 You Program in her department and for NSWCDD. The program is designed to assist employees in finding solutions to everyday problems outside of the work environment. Additionally, Lashus created and manages the Aegis BMD performance award program.

* Rodger Wittig with W Department was recognized for his community leadership in the wake of the devastating tornado outbreak in March 2011 in Huntsville, Ala. In the days after the F5 tornado leveled many neighborhoods in the Huntsville area and left the entire region without power for weeks, Wittig volunteered many days in the recovery operations. He assisted Alabama residents in clearing and cutting downed trees, recovering personal items, and in clearing and sorting the extensive debris left behind by the destroyed homes to help restore some "normalcy" to their lives.

* Angela Moreland with Z Department was commended for exceptional leadership in assuming increasingly difficult levels of responsibility in the areas of Continuous Process Improvement, Total Ownership Cost and Enterprise Resource Planning.

* Dr. Linda Beck, the Micro & Molecular Biology section head within Z Department's CBR Concepts & Experimentation Branch, was honored as a "mentor extraordinaire" in fostering an environment that generates creative solutions by treating individuals and their diverse ideas and opinions with fairness, respect and professionalism.

Group Achievement Awards

Over 20 groups of NSWCDD employees received the Award of Merit for Group Achievement and Technology-to-Sea Group Award for accomplishments during 2011. The group awards are intended to promote the spirit of teamwork among employees and recognize group effort where cooperation has contributed to the success of the group.

The Chief Engineers Group was presented with NSWCDD's Award of Excellence in Systems Engineering. Composed of representatives from all the command's technical departments, the group was cited for their contributions to the discipline of systems engineering, and commended for the team's insistence on adherence to complete engineering rigor for all NSWCDD programs to ensure delivery of the highest quality products expected to support the Fleet.

Members of the Dahlgren History Project were recognized with the Distinguished Community Group Service Award for their exemplary efforts to preserve and present the scientific and technical heritage of Dahlgren and NSWCDD. In presenting the past and present stories of the people and the products of Dahlgren, the workforce and the surrounding community have a renewed awareness and appreciation for the contributions the work here have provided to the Navy, the nation and the world.

Technology-to-Sea Group Excellence Awards:

*The Tomahawk Missile Performance Analysis Team successfully addressed the operational need to reduce flight time for Tomahawk missiles for targets close to shore.

* The Electromagnetic Pulse Group for outstanding support in testing and repairing the USS Makin Island (LHD 8).

* The Directed Energy Counter-IED Deployment Team for outstanding support and commitment in support of the deployment and operations of the NIRF 2 and Reloc 1 directed energy counter-IED systems.

* The CHECKMATE Rapid Development and Deployment Team for their efforts to rapidly develop and deploy a novel Ship Disable Capability in response to a U.S. Central Command Joint Urgent Operational Need.

* The Project PUCK Rapid Development and Fielding Team for their efforts to quickly field cutting-edge technologies that directly support our service members working on the front lines of the Global War on Terrorism.

* The Common Architecture System Assurance Team for their effort to develop a new enterprise anti-cyber warfare capability to defend naval warfare systems against cyber attack.

* The Militarized Peripheral Replacement System Team for their work across Program Executive Offices, Warfare Centers, and multiple shipyards to successfully field the MPRS system on numerous Aegis cruisers and destroyers.

Awards of Merit for Group Achievement

* The Dragon Spear Gun Weapon System Design Team, which in a two-year period designed and developed a 30mm Gun Weapon System integrated onto an MC-130W aircraft to be deployed by the Air Force Special Operations Command.

* The Northern Border Integration Demonstration Team for their work to develop and integrate the NBID system and install it in the Department of Homeland Security's Operational Integration Center.

* The Unmanned Aviation System Ship Integration Team for successfully designing, engineering and installing a variety of Unmanned Air Vehicle Control Segments for the Naval Air Systems Command, PMA 263 and PMA 266.

* The File Generation and Message Development Team for successfully completing a total redesign of the FGM model using Object Oriented Design and Java.

* The HMS ASTUTE Tomahawk Land Attack Missile Test Team for their collaborative effort that resulted in a successful At-Sea Alignment Test on the HMS Astute submarine.

* The Computational Electromagnetics Group for their computational analysis and computer-aided design packages for the topside design of amphibious ships, carriers, U.S. Coast Guard ships, the Royal Australian Navy's Air Warfare Destroyer and the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System.

* To NSWC Dahlgren's Maritime Radar Processor Fleet Evaluation Team for their work in planning, executing, analyzing and evaluating MRP in an operational environment.

* The RELOC2 Counter-IED Development Team for their support in the successful deployment of civilian personnel into a combat environment, and for the establishment of a standardized and effective process for the continued deployment of civilian personnel.

* The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Flight Test Mission 15 Team in recognition of their support in the conduct of FTM-15 (Stellar Charon) on April 14, 2011, the first Launch-on-Remote live Standard Missile 3 intercept event.

* The Integrated Combat Systems Test Facility Transition Team for their effort in executing the final phase of the BRAC-directed closure of the Point Loma-based facility and the corresponding stand up of the new facility at NSF Dahlgren.

* The NSWCDD Warfare Capability Baseline Assessment Phase I Core Team for their outstanding efforts in providing an assessment of current system capabilities, which supported the Chief of Naval Operations integration and interoperability efforts as well as 5th and 7th Fleet operational plans.

* The Navy CBR Defense Division's Operation Tomodachi Support Team for their rapid and technically sound support of the fleet after radioactive material was released from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

* The NSWC Dahlgren Identity Dominance System project team for exceptional service in support of the Anti-Terrorism Afloat Program Office.

Before concluding the award ceremony, Capt. Smith recognized the command's Human Systems Integration (HSI) Team for recently earning the NAVSEA Team Excellence Award. The HSI engineers were recognized for superior support to the CVN 78 (Gerald R. Ford next generation carrier) program as key players in the warfare system engineering technical team.

Capitalizing on the investment made while assessing the Ford class of nuclear aircraft carriers, the team applied findings to the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) class of nuclear aircraft carriers, achieving manpower reductions of 25 percent and resulting in a savings of $17.7 million.

Gary Wagner was a contributor to this story.