cquisition ogistic excellence · academy air force research laboratory news (feb. 12, 2019) donna...

Acquisition & Logistics Excellence

DEFENSEACQUISITION | May-June 2019 | 1

Nuclear Weapons Center Recognized for ExcellenceAIR FORCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS CENTER (FEB. 5, 2019) The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) recently received the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (AFOEA) for the fifth time since the center stood up in 2006.

“We manage 30 acquisition programs and hundreds of sus-tainment programs valued at more than $10 billion, ensuring our nation’s most powerful weapons are never doubted and always feared,” said Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, AFNWC com-mander and Air Force program executive officer for strategic systems. The center’s AFOEA awards now span eight con-secutive years, from 2009 to 2016.

“Our efforts during the award period were also integral to the sustainment of two legs of the United States’ nuclear triad in 2016, including the Minuteman III ICBM,” Morris said. For example, a 970-member team supported the sustainment of 450 ICBMs at locations spanning several states and three missile wings.

“The team helped ensure a more than 99-percent alert rate, the single highest sustained alert rate in ICBM history,” Mor-ris said.

They also direct the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent pro-gram, the follow-on system to replace the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM. The new GBSD weapon system will meet existing nuclear deterrence requirements, while having the adaptability and flexibility to affordably address changing technology and threat environments through 2075, according to Morris. Deployment is projected to begin in the late 2020s.

During 2016, the center initiated the Long Range Standoff Weapon program, the replacement for the aging AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile. LRSO’s range, survivability, reli-ability, and credibility are key elements of the air-delivered leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, according to Morris. The Air Force plans to start fielding LRSO by 2030.

The center also managed a $44-million effort to integrate the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb with the F-15E Strike Eagle and the B-2 Spirit aircraft.

In addition, AFNWC nuclear experts led the update of the nuclear delivery technical orders for four aircraft, providing safe escape guidance to aircrews and U.S. Strategic Command.

During the year, center experts conducted an Air-Force-wide health assessment of nuclear command-and-control commu-nication (NC3) systems. They assessed more than 60 NC3 systems valued at over $15 billion.

Military and civilian members assigned or attached to AFNWC from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2016, are authorized to wear the AFOEA ribbon. Anyone with questions about wearing the ribbon should contact the local force support squadron or manpower and personnel office.

Headquartered at Kirtland AFB, the center has about 1,100 personnel assigned to 18 locations worldwide, including at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts; Hill AFB, Utah; Eglin AFB, Florida; and Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, as well as at several embed locations throughout the United States and Europe.

Diagramming the Deep: Navy-Sponsored Scientist Awarded for Sea-Floor MappingOFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH PUBLIC AFFAIRS (FEB. 6, 2019)Warren Duffie Jr.

ARLINGTON, Va.—For creating the most comprehensive global map of the ocean floor, Dr. David Sandwell received the Charles A. Whitten Medal, sponsored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Sandwell, a geophysicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanogra-phy, accepted the award at the AGU Fall Meeting in December 2018. Named after scientist Charles A. Whitten, the medal is given to honor “outstanding achievement in research on the form and dynamics of the Earth and planets.”

Since the 1990s, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Sandwell has combined satellite data with acoustic depth measurements to develop a detailed, accurate map of the sea floor—painting a vivid tapestry of the deepest, least explored parts of the ocean. The map catalogues thousands of previously unidentified underwater mountains, trenches, physical undersea connections between South America and Africa, and extinct ridges that spread the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Dr. Sandwell’s groundbreaking work provides the first high-resolution map of the ocean floor,” said Dr. Tom Drake, head of ONR’s Ocean Battlespace and Expeditionary Access Depart-ment. “This has opened new research areas for oceanography, marine geology, and geophysics—critical topics for the U.S. Navy.”

Sandwell’s work relies on satellite altimetry (radar) to measure small bumps and dips on the ocean surface, which point to large-scale features on the ocean floor. For example, undersea mountains are huge enough to exert gravitational pulls that gather water in a bump on the sea surface. In contrast, mas-sive cracks and rifts on the ocean floor have less gravitational attraction, resulting in a dip on the surface.


2 | May-June 2019 | DEFENSEACQUISITION

For utmost accuracy, Sandwell blends sat-ellite measurements with traditional sonar soundings from manned research ships. This enables him to compare the topogra-phy of the sea surface with that of the sea floor and form a complete map of the bot-tom.

Sandwell created multiple versions of his map over the last two decades. He unveiled the first in 1997, based on marine gravita-tional data gathered by the Navy’s GEOSAT Earth-observation satellite. In 2014, he im-proved the original map by adding data from additional satellites operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-istration (NASA) and the European Space Agency.

“Dr. Sandwell’s map is like a smart phone that improves with each new model,” said Dr. Reginald Beach, who sponsors Sandwell’s work for ONR’s Ocean Bat-tlespace and Expeditionary Access Depart-ment. “Each version teaches us more about the topography of the ocean bottom, which is crucial to safe navigation for the Navy.”

Sandwell is now updating the 2014 map with information gathered by another pair of satellites run by NASA and the French space agency, CNES. Other data comes from sonar soundings compiled by Austra-lia, during that nation’s participation in an international effort to scour the southern Indian Ocean in search of the wreckage of Malaysian Airways Flight 370—which disappeared in 2014. Australia made the sonar data publicly available in 2017.

“Thanks to this new data, our map can provide greater infor-mation about the world’s oceans,” said Sandwell, “particularly the Southern Hemisphere, which includes the Indian Ocean and south Atlantic Ocean. I’m grateful to ONR for its valuable support over the years, which has been crucial to creating the most accurate sea floor map possible.”

AGU is a not-for-profit, scientific organization with nearly 60,000 members in 139 countries.

Warren Duffie Jr. is a contractor for ONR Corporate Strategic Commu-nications.

For more news from Office of Naval Research, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/onr/.

AFRL Senior Scientist Emeritus Elected to National AcademyAIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY NEWS (FEB. 12, 2019)Donna Lindner

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions afforded to an engineer. For one Air Force engineer, it’s the culmination of a long and storied career.

Dr. Sheldon (Lee) Semiatin, from the Air Force Research Labo-ratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate was recently elected to this prestigious honor and is only one of a handful of AFRL alumni ever elected.

Academy membership honors those who have made out-standing contributions to engineering research, practice, or education, including significant contributions to engineer-ing literature and pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields

A version of Dr. David Sandwell™s sea floor map reveals details about earthquakes (red dots), sea floor-spreading ridges and faults. For creating the most comprehen-sive global map of the ocean floor, with support from the Office of Naval Research, Sandwell received the Charles A. Whitten Medal, sponsored by the American Geophysical Union. Photo courtesy Dr. David Sandwell, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

http://www.navy.mil/local/onr/

http://www.navy.mil/local/onr/



of engineering, or developing innovative approaches to engi-neering education.

Dr. Semiatin is recognized for his contributions to thermome-chanical processing of aerospace alloys and emerging inter-metallic materials.

Thermomechanical processing is a procedure that integrates metal forging, rolling, extrusion, and more, with heat-treat-ment to control metallic structure and material properties. Such techniques are widely used in industry to make compo-nents for aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion and power systems, and ordnance. Development of the scientific and technological foundations for TMP methods have reduced cost, improved re-liability, and enhanced service performance of these systems.

“I view this wonderful honor as an affirmation of the qual-ity and impact of outstanding research and development, and technology transitions performed by the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate over many decades,” said Semiatin. “Needless to say, our work for the Air Force and the Nation results from the efforts of numerous bright and dedicated

individuals who strive for excel-lence.”

“This is a testament to the labo-ratory culture, one that despite all the noise and chaos in the everyday world, enables excel-lence in science and engineering research and development,” said Dr. Timothy Bunning, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate Chief Scientist.

AFRL Commander Maj. Gen. William Cooley congratulated Semiatin for his outstanding work and commended him for repre-senting AFRL and the Air Force in the highest manner.

A formal inauguration of new members into the academy will take place Oct. 6, 2019, in Wash-ington, D.C.

Vandenberg AFB Civilians Save the Air Force $1 BillionAIR FORCE NEWS SERVICE (FEB. 14, 2019)Airman 1st Class Hanah Abercrombie

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.—Three 30th Con-tracting Squadron civilians saved $1 billion for the Air Force January 2012 through January 2019.

The team used reutilization, innovative tools, and efficient team dynamics to effectively save the money.

“The majority of cost savings comes from reutilizing assets from contract to contract,” said Darlene Thompson, 30th Con-tracting Squadron contract specialist. “When one contract is ending, another contract on base may be beginning and able to use those parts and equipment. We reutilize the materi-als under another contract and they don’t have to re-procure them.”

The team has oversight of government furnished property that is given to a contractor to use throughout the life cycle of a contract, said Stephen Schultz, 30th Contracting Squadron property specialist. If there are items on the contract that are no longer needed, the contractor will go through plant clear-ance to dispose of them. That is when the team will help to get

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Dr. Sheldon (Lee) Semiatin handles metal samples in the Experimental Materials Processing Laboratory. It serves as both a state-of-the-art laboratory for basic and applied research, as well as a test bed for new materials and processes devel-oped in conjunction with partners in the Air Force supply chain. U.S. Air Force photo/Donna Lindner



items off of their contract and can put reutilization and money saving into place.

They started tracking their cost savings in a database in early 2012. Since then, it has been populated daily.

“We started the database to keep track of what we do and to be able to provide metrics to the team, contracting officers, and commanders,” said Joseph Gagnon, 30th Contracting Squadron property administrator team lead.

Over the years, the team has tried to find places for equip-ment to be used rather than disposing of it. They have worked with computers for learning, Vandenberg’s history museum for legacy items and Vandenberg’s recycling center, Gagnon said. Working with the programs has been a direct cost sav-ings to the government and has also helped benefit schools and Vandenberg.

“We try to reutilize to the base populous through the Vanden-berg recycling center,” Thompson said. “As much as possible, we try to go there so base agencies can use the furniture.”

Along with reutilization, the team’s efficient dynamics have enabled savings.

“What has benefitted us is the way we work together,” Thomp-son said. “Our team structure is different from most and when we have our meetings, everything we share is something we can use, and we can jump into each other’s seat and contracts, and take over when we need help. It’s been great that the team works cohesively.”

The team has worked together to create how-to guides, check-lists, and other tools to help make their efforts more efficient.

“We always strive to find easier, faster ways to get our jobs done without cutting out parts,” Thompson said. “The metrics and the tools we have used help us to rely on our info so we aren’t duplicating efforts.”

Through innovation, reutilization and team dynamics, they have become a major cost savings asset to Vandenberg AFB and the Air Force as a whole.

Three 30th Contracting Squadron civilians survey items in a warehouse used for storing government furnished property Feb. 12, 2018, on Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The team is responisble for saving $1 billion over the course of seven years. U.S. Air Force photo



Defense Department Awards $10 Million in Funding to Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation InstituteDEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS RELEASE, PRESS OPERATIONS (FEB. 22, 2019)

The Department of Defense has awarded $10 million in fund-ing to the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation In-stitute (DMDII), with an option of $20 million more over the upcoming five years to lead the digital future of manufacturing. This award is part of a new multi-year follow-on agreement with a ceiling of $60 million of government funding.

The Department of Defense will continue the strategic part-nership with DMDII for the long term as part of the effort to reform DoD for greater performance and affordability in sup-port of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Department of Defense wants to reaffirm our strategic relationship with the Digital Manufacturing and Design Inno-vation Institute. We are working together to develop cutting-edge digital technology and investing in a robust research and development infrastructure to promote global competitiveness on the part of U.S. manufacturers,” stated Robert Gold, direc-tor, Technology & Manufacturing Industrial Base.

Founded in 2014, DMDII has invested approximately $94 mil-lion in more than 60 applied research projects nationwide. DMDII collaborates with the U.S Army’s Rock Island Arsenal, the nation’s largest government-owned weapons manufac-turer. With the aim of getting equipment to U.S. warfighters quickly, the arsenal and DMDII have used 3-D modeling to assess the arsenal’s manufacturing processes.

“American manufacturing must remain competitive since it underpins national and economic security,” said Tracy Frost, Pentagon’s director of the DoD Manufacturing Institutes and its Manufacturing Technology program.

DMDII’s mission is to enable United States manufacturers to make every part better than the last. That requires production lines to be embedded with software and sensors that con-nect to a network. The ability of manufacturing equipment to send and receive data in real time will enable the equipment to improve the manufacturing processes while learning from every part produced.

SDDC Recognizes Excellence with GDDE AwardsMILITARY SURFACE DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION COMMAND (MARCH 1, 2019)Johnathon Orrell

The Commanding General of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Maj. Gen. Stephen E. Farmen an-

nounced the winners of the 2018 SDDC Global Deployment and Distribution Excellence (GDDE) awards at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Feb. 15.

The GDDE awards program is intended to motivate and in-spire the SDDC workforce by formally recognizing exceptional teamwork, achievements and superior deployment, distribu-tion, specialized services, transportation, and mission support performances of SDDC’s Surface Warriors around the globe.

“It is important that our workforce knows that what they con-tribute every day makes a difference,” said Bryan R. Samson, SES, the SDDC deputy to the commander.

“We want to hire the right talent in SDDC while also develop-ing and retaining our workforce over time, and a key way to achieve that is to thank and recognize outstanding perform-ers, something we do through this awards program,” Samson added.

The GDDE awards consist of 34 team and individual awards recognizing the highest performers across the command.

Mary Ellen Ramsey from SDDC’s G3 Operations directorate took honors as “SDDC Protection Member of the Year.”

Responsible for managing the command’s Emergency Man-agement Program, Ramsey says her success is a result of the emergency management teams she works with daily. “I am honored to be selected as a winner, but the success of the SDDC Emergency Management Program isn’t based on any one person, it is a community effort,” she said.

Joe Repp, deputy director for the G3 directorate, attributes Ramsey’s success to the many positive differences she has made to the command. “She has been instrumental in mak-ing our Emergency Management Program a model within the U.S. Army,” he said. “Her dedication to our core mission and her personal desire to do what is right each and every day distinguishes her from her contemporaries.”

SDDC’s 596th Transportation Brigade, headquartered at Sunny Point, North Carolina, was named winner of the “LTG Hubert G. Smith Award for Superior Performance,” an award recognizing an SDDC organization whose superior perfor-mance epitomizes global deployment and distribution excel-lence. The brigade also counted two team and three individual award winners.

Col. Heather Carlisle, the commander of the 596th, appreci-ates the recognition from higher headquarters and says the brigade’s success is a direct result of the people within her



command. “My command team and I are privileged to serve with an incredibly talented, dedicated, and supremely patriotic team of trusted professionals that care. We are inspired and motivated to be our best every day because of the remarkable people we serve alongside,” said Carlisle.

According to Samson, all leaders within SDDC have a respon-sibility to foster innovation, coach and mentor the workforce to seek excellence, and recognize individuals and teams when they perform above and beyond. “We are fortunate in SDDC to see excellent performance across the globe from our mili-tary, Department of Army (DA) civilians, local nationals, and industry partners,” said Samson.

The Hawaii-based 599th Transportation Brigade received the “MG Kenneth L. Privratsky Award for SDDC Brigade of the Year.” This award recognizes the brigade that best excels at deployment, distribution and transportation services, respon-sibilities, and functions.

Brigade commander Col. Frazariel Castro attributes the honor to his unit’s mission success, but notes that while his brigade is humbled by the recognition, he does not consider the 599th’s mission any more important than the rest of the SDDC brigade missions. “The Surface Warriors of the “Koa Kokua” Warrior Support Brigade are SDDC’s premier power projection team in the Pacific,” he said, adding, “but we know that what we do is mirrored every day by all of the SDDC brigades and battalions across the globe.”

Samson considers this year’s GDDE Awards program a great success, noting that the winners represent the high caliber of personnel that make up the Surface Warrior workforce.

“SDDC’s reputation is based on demonstrated individual and collective excellence that is earned every day by our workforce. Every Soldier who wears the SDDC patch and every civilian who joins our command must perform at a high standard to sustain that reputation,” he said.

The complete list of the 2018 SDDC Global Deployment and Distribution Excellence Award winners is as follows:

Organizational Awards• LTG Hubert G. Smith Award for Superior Performance –

596th Transportation Brigade

• MG John J. Lane Award for SDDC Deployment and Distribu-tion Excellence – 831st Transportation Battalion

• MG Kenneth L. Privratsky Award for SDDC Brigade of the Year – 599th Transportation Brigade

• MG Harold I. Small Award for SDDC Battalion of the Year – 839th Transportation Battalion

• LTG William E. Mortensen Award for SDDC Activity of the Year – Transportation Engineering Agency Deployability Division

• MG John H. Stanford Award for SDDC Site of the Year – 839th Transportation Battalion Turkey Detachment

• LTG Kathleen M. Gainey SDDC Team Performance of the Year Award (Large team, 20 or more members) – Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point Fire and Emergency Services

• MG Charles W. Fletcher, Jr. SDDC Team Performance of the Year Award (Medium team, 10-19 members) – 836th Transportation Battalion terminal Management Team

• BG Barbara Doornink SDDC Team Performance of the Year Award (Small team, 2 to 9 members) – 596th Transporta-tion Brigade Ocean Cargo Clearance Authority

Individual Awards• Mr. William R. Lucas Award for Individual Outstanding Con-

tributions – Tokico Sadakata, 836th Transportation Battalion

• Johnnie Fisher Award for Operational Cost Effectiveness – Pradeep A. Bhandary, 831st Transportation Battalion

• LTG John D. Bruen Award for Field Grade Officer of the Year – Lt. Cmdr. Warren K. Blackburn, Transportation Engineer-ing Agency

• MG Henry R. Del Mar Award for SDDC Company Grade Officer of the Year – Capt. Kevin B. Mendelsohn, SDDC Headquarters G3 Operations Directorate

• CSM Thomas R. Hawkins, SDDC Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (E8-E9) – Master Sgt. Marcos A. Rodri-guezBaez, 689th Rapid Port Opening Element

• CSM Arthur Johnson SDDC Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (E5-E7) – Sgt. 1st Class Alex Casaretto, 599th Transportation Brigade

• SDDC Terminal Operations Civilian of the Year – Roy L. Miller, 833rd Transportation Battalion

• SDDC Transportation/Traffic Management Soldier of the Year – Sgt. 1st Class Johnsie J. Little, 838th transportation Battalion



• SDDC Transportation/Traffic Management Civilian of the Year – Anthony Hill, Jr. – 836th Transportation Battalion

• SDDC Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Performer of the Year – Okey E. Palmore, 596th Transportation Brigade

• SDDC Supply and Inventory Management Soldier of the Year – Staff Sgt. Troy L. Wilkerson, 832nd Transportation Battalion

• SDDC Supply and Inventory Management Civilian of the Year – Frederick A. Williams, SDDC Headquarters G6 In-formation Management Directorate

• SDDC Information Management Soldier of the Year – Sgt. 1st Class Joseph L. Savant - SDDC Headquarters G6 Informa-tion Management Directorate

• SDDC Information Management Civilian of the Year – Susan C. Apke, 596th Transportation Brigade

• SDDC Contract Quality Assurance Evaluator of the Year – Gale J. Hammond, 595th Transportation Brigade

• SDDC Personnel Support Team Member of the Year – Charles E. Loiselle, 599th Transportation Brigade

• SDDC Special Staff-Small Office Team Member of the Year – Brian K. Asbee, 599th Transportation Brigade

• SDDC Protection Member of the Year – Mary E. Ramsey, SDDC Headquarters G3 Operations Directorate

• SDDC Administrative Support Performance of the Year Award – Hiromi Hanzawa, 836th Transportation Battalion

• SDDC Budget or Finance Team Member of the Year Award – Fathimathu Zzuhara, 831st Transportation Battalion

• MG John R. Piatak SDDC Plans Team Member of the Year Award – Ethan M. Dickman, 599th Transportation Brigade

AFRL Introduces New Sharable Supercomputing Capability for Classified Research88TH AIR BASE WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (MARCH 6, 2019) Bryan Ripple

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—Air Force Re-search Laboratory and Department of Defense High Perfor-mance Computing Modernization Program officials hosted a ribbon cutting and groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 26 to unveil the first-ever shared classified Department of Defense high

performance computing capability at the AFRL DoD Super-computing Resource Center at Area B.

The ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated a significant mile-stone in the deployment of an overall shared classified com-puting capability at AFRL.

A big part of that capability is four state-of-the-art HPE SGI 8600 supercomputers, including one named “Mustang,” an unclassified supercomputer named in honor of the P-51 Mus-tang aircraft flown by the famous Tuskegee Airmen. The three other systems, Voodoo, Shadow, and Spectre—named after the F-101 supersonic jet fighter, MC-130P Combat Shadow, and AC-130H gunship, respectively—support higher classification levels that impact critical DoD research areas and address increasing demand across the Defense Department.

This increased demand for shared, higher classification super-computing was the reason for the groundbreaking portion of the ceremony. An additional 7,000 square feet of classified space, specifically designed to support supercomputers, is being added with construction already in progress.

“This creates an environment for Air Force, Army, and Navy researchers to quickly respond to our nation’s most pressing and complex challenges, while also accelerating new capabili-ties to the warfighter at lower level costs to the taxpayer,” said Jeff Graham, AFRL DoD Supercomputing Resource Center director.

AFRL has leveraged the power of high-performance com-puting to accelerate research efforts for years while bringing new technologies to bear on critical mission areas. Computing needs are changing and must be secure to prevent adversaries from leveraging DoD knowledge and expertise.

“AFRL has been at the forefront of the effort to establish this capability for the DoD,” Graham said. “It shows our commit-ment to advancing computational tools being used to support the warfighter. The ability to share supercomputers at higher classification levels will allow programs to get their super-computing work done quickly while maintaining necessary security. Programs will not need to spend their budget and waste time constructing their own secure computer facilities, and buying and accrediting smaller computers for short-term work. This new capability will save billions for the DoD while providing additional access to state-of-the-art computing.”

The AFRL Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center, created in 1994, is one of four sites included in the con-gressionally funded High-Performance Computing Modern-ization Program. Today, the DoD HPCMP supports world-class



capabilities at AFRL and three other DSRC sites by funding high-performance computers, high-speed networking, multi-petabyte archival mass storage, and customer support.

“Let’s recognize that this whole effort is really about one pur-pose—providing the necessary tools for scientists and en-gineers so that they, in turn, can continue to do world-class research and develop the best systems for our warfighters,” said Kelly Dalton, AFRL DoD Supercomputing Resource Center technical director.

AFRL Information Directorate Engineer Recognized at Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Global Competitive Conference88TH AIR BASE WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (MARCH 14, 2019) ROME RESEARCH LABORATORY, New York—An associate computer engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory Infor-mation Directorate was recognized as a Modern Day Technol-ogy Leader at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Global Competitiveness Conference held Feb. 7-9 in Washington, D.C.

Members assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Department of Defense leadership cut the ribbon for a new DoD super computer capability located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Feb. 26, 2019. This was the first-ever shared classified DoD high per-formance computing capability. Courtesy photo

Ainoghena Igetei’s work contributes to advancements in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a specific emphasis on Autonomous Systems and Machine Learning (ML). AI/ML provides computers the ability to perform tasks without being explicitly programmed how to do it. His research and applica-tion development is motivated by operational Air Force and Department of Defense problem domains and constraints. This includes development of new fundamental ML tech-niques and the application of state-of-the-art-learning, such as Deep Learning, Interactive Learning, Transfer Learning, and Reinforcement Learning. Real-world applications include au-tonomous navigation, object detection, audio processing and natural language understanding, large-scale swarm control of small Unmanned Aerial Systems, and cyber threat detection.

Developing these new, potentially game changing AI/ML tech-niques contributes to the Information Directorate’s reputation as the Air Force and nation’s premier research organization for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intel-ligence, and Cyber technologies. It is this type of research that Igetei is leading that will continue to provide air, space,



and cyberspace forces the competitive advantage needed to protect and defend the nation.

The goal of the BEYA Conference is to create connections between students, educators, and STEM professionals while facilitating partnerships with individuals and their local STEM resources. Igetei has been chosen for this honor due to his con-tinual commitment to excellence, continuous improvement, and his skills in developing new employees entering the field.

DoD Announces FY2018 Minerva Research Initiative AwardsDEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS RELEASE (MARCH 18, 2019)The Department of Defense continued its history of strong support for fundamental research by selecting 12 faculty in-vestigators for awards through the FY2018 Minerva Research Initiative.

This initiative supports basic research that focuses on topics of particular relevance to U.S. national security. Through its network of faculty investigators, the Minerva Research Initia-tive also strengthens the department’s connections with the social science community and helps DoD better understand

and prepare for future challenges, including National Defense Strategy priorities such as great power competition.

“We live in a dynamic world, and many of the challenges we face are social or have social elements to them,” said Dr. Bindu Nair, deputy director of the Basic Research Office. “The knowl-edge and methodologies generated from Minerva awardees are an important source of new ideas from the social science community to better understand the social aspects that are inherent to security and stability.”

The 12 faculty awardees were selected for the prestigious awards following a merit competition from approximately 175 applicants across eight categories. Research proposals were peer-reviewed and selected in conference between the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy to identify proposals that make foundational con-tributions to basic social science and align with the National Defense Strategy.

The Minerva Research Initiative is jointly administered by the Basic Research Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of

Ainoghena Igetei, an associate computer engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate at Rome, New York, was recognized as a Modern Day Technology Leader at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Global Competi-tiveness Conference held Feb. 7-9 in Washington, D.C. Courtesy photo



Defense for Research and Engineering and the Strategy and Force Development Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. The projects are jointly supported by the Basic Research Office, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the Office of Naval Research.

The list of Minerva Award winners is available online.

Army Honors Excellence in ContractingU.S. ARMY NEWS SERVICE (MARCH 19, 2019)WASHINGTON—The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology has an-nounced the 2018 Secretary of the Army Awards for Excel-lence in Contracting, with more than a dozen contracting pro-fessionals and organizations selected for their contributions to Army acquisition.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) received four awards, including two Contracting Professional of the Year Awards and the Specialized Services and Construction Con-tracting Awards for a team and for an individual. Also earning multiple honors was the U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC); four of its organizations received a total of five awards.

The Secretary of the Army recognized 14 groups and individu-als for their accomplishments in customer satisfaction, pro-ductivity, process improvement, and quality enhancement in three categories: team awards, special awards, and contracting officer awards. Laura J. Eichhorn, part of the South Atlantic Di-

vision of the USACE Directorate of Contracting, and LaShonda C. Smith, a member of the USACE Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Alabama, were named Contracting Pro-fessionals of the Year.

Sgt. 1st Class Terry Ann J. Lewis, with the 608th Contracting Team, 419th Contracting Support Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, received the Contracting NCO of the Year Award. Megan D. Weidner of ACC – Orlando received the Outstand-ing Contract Specialist/Procurement Analyst Award.

Winners will be honored at a ceremony hosted by Dr. Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, on April 4 in Arlington, Virginia. The full list of winners follows.

Secretary of the Army Awards for Excellence in ContractingTeam Awards Specialized Services and Construction Contracting Award: Puerto Rico Product Delivery Team, USACE, Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama

Systems, R&D, Logistics Support (Sustainment) Contracting Award: Omnibus/Multiple Award Task Order Contract Team, Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Ra-diological and Nuclear Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

Installation Level Contracting Office and/or Directorate of Contracting Award: 629th Contracting Team/Regional Contracting Office – Osan, 411th Contracting Support Brigade

Contingency Contracting Award: Con-tracting Team – Special Operations Com-mand Central, 902nd Contracting Battal-ion, 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Joint Base Lewis – McChord, Washington

Special AwardsBarbara C. Heald (Deployed Civilian) Award: Kelvin B. Magee, ACC – Afghani-stan

Exceptional Support of the AbilityOne Program Award: Angela K. Chaplinski, U.S. Army Mission and Installation Con-tracting Command, Joint Base Lewis – McChord

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology has announced the 2018 Secretary of the Army Awards for Excellence in Contracting, with more than a dozen contracting professionals and organizations selected for their contributions to Army acquisition.U.S. Army photo

https://media.defense.gov/2019/Mar/18/2002102549/-1/-1/1/FY18-AWARD-DECISIONS-TITLES.PDF



Outstanding Contract Specialist/Procurement Analyst Award: Megan D. Weidner, ACC – Orlando

Contracting Professional of the Year Award: Laura J. Eichhorn, USACE Directorate of Contracting, South Atlantic Division; and LaShonda C. Smith, USACE Engineering and Support Cen-ter, Huntsville, Alabama

Contracting NCO of the Year Award: Sergeant 1st Class Terry Ann J. Lewis, 608th Contracting Team, 419th Contracting Sup-port Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Contracting Officer AwardsInstallation Level Contracting Office and/or Directorate of Contracting Award: Nancy Johnson, ACC – Aberdeen Prov-ing Ground (Huachuca Division)

Specialized Services and Construction Contracting Award: Joshua Kaufmann, USACE Pittsburgh District

Systems, R&D, Logistics Support (Sustainment) Contracting Award: Emily Harston, ACC – Aberdeen Proving Ground (Hua-chuca Division)

Contingency Contracting Award: Derek Schnorrenberg, ACC – Rock Island, Illinois

160th SOAR Named Aviation Award WinnersU.S. ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND NEWS SERVICE (MARCH 21, 2019)CPT Veronica Aguila

FORT BRAGG, N.C.—Soldiers from the 160th Special Op-erations Aviation Regiment, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command, were recognized for their contributions to Army aviation in an announcement of the Army Aviation Association of America 2018 award winners.

The awards recognize individuals and units for their outstand-ing contributions and advancements in innovation throughout the previous year.

Second Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment received the Battalion of the Year award. Sgt. Bradley Galloway was named the 2018 Soldier of the Year, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Patrick Fleming was named the 2018 Aviator of the Year for their individual achievements.

The awards signify the dedication to excellence by the soldiers and the continued efforts within U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command to improve the readiness and lethality of its formations.

For more information, contact the director of Public Affairs, Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, U.S. Army Special Operations Command Office: 910-432-3383, [email protected].

Contracting Command Commended by Senior LogisticianARMY CONTRACTING COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS (MARCH 25, 2019)

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.—Recent contractual achieve-ments, upcoming plans, and workload issues topped the list of topics discussed by Army Contracting Command staff direc-tors, briefers, and leadership during the command’s March 11 quarterly update with Army Materiel Command Commanding General Gen. Gus Perna.

After Maj. Gen. Paul Pardew, ACC’s commanding general, discussed the current state of ACC, Perna commended ACC for their achievements and suggested avenues for managing the workload.

“Get out in front and do what you need to do … if you recognize it and can’t get it done, time to elevate it,” Perna told the staff directors. “Elevate it to the PARCs [Principal Assistant Respon-sible for Contracting], to Maj. Gen. Pardew, to me. That’s what we are here for.”

Category management, which enables the government to eliminate redundancies, increases efficiency and delivers more value and savings from its acquisition programs, was another topic of conversation.

Perna said he wanted a clear plan for the way ahead by next quarter, stressing ACC—and AMC’s other subordinate com-mands—should stay focused on meeting the intent for Army readiness, and that responsibility lies with both the Soldier and civilian workforce.

“We need to push or change people’s behavior,” said Perna. “If there are bad habits, a lack of discipline or lack of confidence happening at the lowest level of the brigades … we just need to bring that up.”

The Army’s senior logistician also stressed that he was not as interested in metrics as he was in innovations that cause time improvements, adding that he wants to see a flow that improves contracts and people—the best use of time and re-sources.

AMC’s initiative, Shape the Fight, which follows the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff’s priorities and ongoing reform efforts by reorganizing certain staff functions to better syn-chronize, integrate, and deliver materiel readiness, was a key

mailto:loren.bymer%40socom.mil?subject=



topic of discussion. Perna verbally approved ACC’s proposal to move into Phase 3 of the initiative.

One of the final points was in regard to how ACC employees work to support their customers—the Army organizations needing equipment, supplies, and services from defense con-tractors—and the necessity of standardizing processes to hold both ACC and its customers accountable.

Perna stressed that he was looking for leadership from each member of the staff and encouraged them to get engaged with their customers early in the process. He urged ACC leaders to engage with customers, work with their employees, acknowl-edge and improve on weaknesses, and commit to issuing con-tracts that provide the Army with what it needs in a timely fashion and a reasonable expense.

“There are so many things to watch: the flow of money, the di-viding of the workforce, the dividing of the workload,” he said. “Then I say, see yourself, see the enemy, see the environment. You’ve got to watch all three to examine the whole picture.

“But also, I want you to keep tightening and elevate if you need to. Get something changed if need be. When in the right, hold strong.”

DoD Announces Fiscal Year 2019 Research Equipment Awards DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS RELEASE (MARCH 25, 2019)ARLINGTON, Va.—The Department of Defense announced awards to 185 university researchers totaling $56 million under the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). These grants will be provided to 95 institutions across 36 states in fiscal 2019.

The Department of Defense has long championed the coun-try’s scientific ecosystem. Through DURIP, DoD supports purchases of major research equipment to augment current and develop new capabilities. This effort enables universi-ties to perform cutting-edge research that boosts the United States’ technological edge while ensuring that our future sci-ence, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce remains second to none.

Army Materiel Command Commander Gen. Gus Perna provides guidance to Maj. Gen. Paul Pardew, commanding general of the Army Contracting Command, during the ACC Quarterly Update, March 11, 2019, at ACC headquarters, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. In the background is AMC Command Sgt. Maj. Rodger Mansker. Photo by Samantha Hill



“DURIP awards are essen-tial for universities to acquire the equipment needed in the pursuit of knowledge and big ideas,” said Dr. Mitch Nikolich, director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology. “Research and education are inextricably linked, and these awards sus-tain the scientific excellence of our universities and the training of the next generation STEM workforce. Ultimately, these investments will ensure that our scientists have the re-sources needed to contribute to the development of game-changing technologies for the Department of Defense.”

The annual DURIP award process is highly competitive. The program is administered through a merit competition jointly conducted by the Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, and Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The de-partment seeks specific proposals from university investiga-tors conducting foundational science and engineering research of importance to national defense.

For the fiscal 2019 competition, the service research offices received 669 proposals, requesting $259 million in funding. Selections made by the service research offices are subject to successful completion of negotiations with the academic institutions.

The list of winning proposals is available online:

DLA Innovator Honored for Integrating Robotics into Agency ProcessesDEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY INFORMATION OPERATIONS (APRIL 4, 2019)Michael Molinaro

A Defense Logistics Agency Information Operations employee is being recognized as one of the top 100 innovators in the federal government.

John Lockwood was selected for Federal Computer Week Magazine’s Federal 100 Awards, presented each year to ex-ecutives in government, industry, and academia who had the

greatest impact on government information systems the pre-vious year.

Lockwood is a program manager for robotic process automa-tion. DLA is leading the Department of Defense in RPA, which eliminates repetitive, manual tasks so employees can focus on more complex, analytical work. Other benefits include greater task-focused productivity, improved compliance, and better standardization and consistency.

“It was good to feel my efforts are being rewarded,” Lockwood said. “I am implementing a game-changing program from proof of concept to sustainment. RPA will automate processes that will help our employees with their workload.”

The Kingston, New York, native and retired Navy captain has been with DLA for more than six years. He also worked in information technology for the U.S. Special Operations Com-mand in Tampa, Florida, and Sun Microsystems in Silicon Val-ley.

Lockwood’s supervisor, John Felsted, nominated him for the award for quickly integrating robotic software into DLA’s IT processes. He said while other DoD agencies are still attempt-ing to implement one bot, Lockwood has managed to get sev-eral running within a couple of months.

John Lockwood was selected for Federal Computer Week Magazine’s Federal 100 Awards, presented each year to executives in government, industry and academia who had the greatest impact on government information systems the previous year.Photo by Paul Crank

https://media.defense.gov/2019/Mar/25/2002105399/-1/-1/1/FY19-DURIP-WINNERS.PDF.



“[DoD] is watching how John is doing it and will likely adopt his implementation,” Felsted said. “He is frequently asked to attend, lead, and speak at many DoD and federal government forums. If he attended all the forums he was invited to, he would never be able to move bots forward at DLA.”

DLA is focusing on innovation to stay ahead of broader DoD and Fourth Estate IT reform initiatives. Agencies such as DLA are looking for creative solutions to the technological and workforce challenges of supporting warfighters.

Lockwood said his favorite part of his job is finding positive solutions for DLA’s technical and administrative problems.

“The most exciting part is expanding the limits of what RPA can do for DLA and the U.S. Government,” he said. “Right now we only understand a small part of the capability.”

cquisition ogistic excellence · academy air force research laboratory news (feb. 12, 2019) donna...

Documents