On Wednesday, May 22, individuals and teams in 10 categories were recognized in the 24th annual NAVAIR Commander’s Awards.
On Wednesday, May 22, individuals and teams in 10 categories aligned to NAVAIR’s focus areas: speed of capability, affordability and availability, were recognized in the 24th annual NAVAIR Commander’s Awards. Awardees for small business advocacy and the Association of Naval Aviation Edward H. Heinemann Award were also recognized.
“Today’s award winners are being recognized for their accomplishments, but even more importantly, they are being recognized for the behaviors they and their teams have demonstrated that were instrumental to their success,” Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, NAVAIR commander, said in his opening remarks.
Winners were selected from 118 nominees from across NAVAIR in categories structured to recognize and reward those who delivered outcomes that matter to the warfighters and who demonstrated the behaviors and actions that enable those results.
Chebi continued, “When asked what the culture of NAVAIR is, I have a simple answer. We are focused on supporting the warfighter. We are constantly looking to improve, and we know that we are better together.”
Watch the recording of the event. View photographs from the event.
The 2024 NAVAIR Commander’s Awards winners are as follows:
AFFORDABILITY (COST SAVINGS)
Carin Tullos
The Cost Transformation Pillar Integrated Product Team (IPT), led by Tullos, sought to identify cost savings for reinvestment to achieve and sustain fully mission capable aircraft readiness goals. In fiscal year 2023 (FY23), the goal for cost transformation was $1 billion. One hundred and forty cost savings initiatives were accepted across the naval aviation enterprise (NAE) to deliver viable savings for harvesting and reallocation in FY23. These savings enabled investment in unfunded requirements vital to ensuring type/model/series (TMS) readiness across the NAE. The team achieved actual cost savings of $1.3 billion, exceeding all expectations, norms and standards across the NAE, and maximizing the potential for real savings.
AVAILABILITY
Presidential Helicopters Program Office (PMA-274) Sustainment, Maintenance and Engineering Team
Team lead: Lee Bassett
The Sustainment, Maintenance and Engineering (SME) Team at Presidential Helicopters set a standard for high performance and outstanding achievement by providing always ready and highly capable VH-3D, VH-60N and VH-92A aircraft to support Marine Helicopter Squadron One’s (HMX-1) mission. The team applied several innovative industry best practices to improve reliability and maintainability, increasing aircraft readiness to historically high rates. They also postured the fleet to exceed the various TMS mission capable aircraft readiness (MCAR) and fully mission capable aircraft readiness (FMCAR) goals. Finally, the team delivered high performing aircraft to HMX-1 consistently, enabling the squadron to exceed its fleet mission capability goals and flight line entitlements. These results make the team best in class: exceeding MCAR (90%) and FMCAR (84%) goals of 80%, with a 98% supply effectiveness rate.
BUSINESS INNOVATION
Fleet Readiness Center East C-130 Depot Workload Optimization Team
Team leads: Stephen Barrow and Matthew McCann
The C-130 Workload Optimization Team, Central Coordination Department, Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East) worked tirelessly over the past year to deploy non-traditional, innovative and workable solutions to the most complex problems. Demonstrating an unrelenting drive to achieving mission outcomes, the C-130 Workload Optimization team succeeded in bringing the Navy and Marine Corps C-130 workload back under the Navy depot structure. Pioneering several strategic approaches, FRC East collaborated with the state of North Carolina to build a 600,000-square-foot hangar, using the Navy Working Capital Fund, which will remove several hundred million dollars in potential military construction requirements. The C-130 program will realize a net savings of more than $3 million per aircraft, or more than $33 million per year, in rate comparison, while also gaining a state-of-the-art facility poised to reduce turnaround time to fewer than 200 days.
WINNING WITH INCLUSION AND RESPECT
Master Sgt. Kelly Brooks
Brooks was recognized for fostering a culture that is supportive, inclusive and welcoming to all people and perspectives. Brooks is fully committed to diversity, equity and inclusion; she lives it, shares it, trains it and leads it. She shaped the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) culture by leading monthly “connect sessions” and modeling positive and inclusive behaviors in the work environment. Her approach to the complexities and sensitivities of diversity and inclusion training created an encouraging environment for her teammates. Her dedication to promoting the key tenets of diversity and inclusion has had positive impacts across several teams, improving collaboration and performance across the PMA-275 portfolio.
“GET REAL, GET BETTER”
E-6B Sustainment System Reform Team
Team leads: Cmdr. Rebecca Anderson, Cmdr. Roger Davis, Cmdr. Jeffrey Desmond, William McCready and Robert J. Stailey
The Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office (PMA-271) E-6B Team is the model for the application of “Get Real, Get Better” (GRGB) principles. The team applied the GRGB mindset, behaviors and approach to reduce dramatically the turnaround times on both the Block II modification effort integrated modification and maintenance contract and the E-6B depot maintenance line. Additionally, the team has scaled its learning throughout the program across and across NAVAIR, the PEOs and the NAE. The E-6B team focused on fleet outcomes, set aggressive goals, reviewed performance-to-plan at weekly heads-up display meetings, embraced risks, empowered employees to fix or elevate barriers, and treated failures as learning opportunities. As a result, they reduced turnaround-time by 62% and reduced costs by $8 million per upgrade.
Catapult Status Dashboard for Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System Team
Team lead: Michael Fountain
Using agile processes, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) team designed and fielded successfully a critical new capability, called the Catapult Status Dashboard (CSD), in under 15 months — providing significantly improved situational awareness to the shipboard EMALS operator during aircraft launch operations. CSD is an upgrade to EMALS that enables independent fleet operation, mitigating the need for civilian engineers to be continuously aboard ship during aircraft launch operations. CSD provides system diagnostics, launch operations awareness and fault reporting to the EMALS operator, minimizing interruptions to flight deck operations by allowing real-time below-deck troubleshooting. This highly innovative, synchronized and energetic team drove positive outcomes at every step. The team’s strong collaboration with fleet users during the design and development process, superior product quality, cyber security and rapid delivery reduced the immediate need for re-architecture of the EMALS software to incorporate this capability.
MOST COLLABORATIVE IPT LEAD
Jason Barnidge
Barnidge served as the capability and combat relevance deputy at the H-1 Light/Attack Helicopter Programs Office (PMA-276). His leadership and ability to partner with multiple government and industry entities was instrumental to the program’s success. He established a software and avionics team, stood up an avionics test facility and coordinated with multiple entities to deliver critical software, communication and munition upgrades to the H-1 platform. In addition, he was influential in collaborating with industry to obtain access to contractor data rights, enhancing the government’s ability to conduct organic support activities and reducing maintenance costs over the life of the program.
MOST IMPACTFUL SUPERVISOR
Jennifer Russell
Russell’s commitment to excellence and innovation inspires her NAVAIR Career Planning and Development Division team to seek opportunities to learn, grow and improve. She fosters a culture of creativity, flexibility and speed. She led her team through the conception and implementation of Waypoints, which has since been adopted as the Navy’s learning management system. She inspired program managers to lead, relying on their expertise to ensure successful outcomes through clear expectations, guidance and accountability. She overcomes barriers through collaborative and open discussions, embracing unique perspectives and ideas, and encouraging imaginative solutions. Russell prioritizes her team’s well-being and work/life balance. Her encouraging words and ability to re-prioritize work to accommodate personal challenges cultivates a supportive team environment that truly resembles a family.
SPEED OF CAPABILITY DELIVERY
Program Executive Office Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons Contingency Operations Team
Team leads: Kelly Ascolese, Travis Blofsky, John Fielder, Robert Galan, Kevin Raspet, Donald J. Sheehan and Kayla Smith
Program Executive Office Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO(U&W))’s Contingency Operations Team has dynamically leaned forward in the rapid integration, execution and delivery of more than $1 billion in weapons systems, supporting kinetic and non-kinetic operations in the Ukraine, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Central Command and Israel theaters of operation. From “cocktail napkin” to “weapons on target,” the team spearheaded rapid operational capabilities by innovatively repurposing, changing and employing multiple high technology readiness-level weapon systems, addressing critical capability gaps in weeks vice years. They used delegated authorities under the National Defense Authorization Act and Mid-Tier and Rapid Acquisition Authorities to go fast — enabling game-changing strategic and operational effects — sinking Russian naval assets within 48 days and engaging and destroying Russian- and Iranian-manufactured aviation, ground and maritime platforms within 30 days of contract award.
TECHNICAL INNOVATION
CH-53E Mission Data Extender Team
Team leads: Lt. Cmdr. Neil Whitesell, Lana Combs, Natasha Gould and Matthew Kania
The CH-53E Mission Data Extender Team used a novel set of government and commercial off-the-shelf items to mitigate a “Top 5” partial mission capable degrader, while providing the first permanently mounted tablet-based primary mission display for a naval aviation platform. The team provided a replacement for legacy capability while enhancing current operational capabilities, reducing cost and schedule of a new mission display. The CH-53E now has an aircraft-powered, Wi-Fi-enabled mission display capable of seamless interoperability with several carry-on data terminals, and capable of walk-on/walk-off expeditionary mission planning.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
John Van Osch
Van Osch set the standard for workforce development in 2023. The flight controls and flying qualities flight test workforce has suffered from high attrition in recent years. In an effort to combat the ever-decreasing levels of experience, Van Osch spent countless hours with test teams, solving problems collaboratively in an effort to provide timely, relevant training. After recognizing opportunities for on-the-job training were insufficient to bridge the experience gap, Van Osch designed, built and installed two training simulators, complete with data monitoring workstations. This new, organic capability will accelerate the training of engineers in safety-critical data monitoring positions at an affordable cost.
NAVAIR SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY AWARD (INDIVIDUAL)
Eric Kline
Kline, prototype and manufacturing division head, was recognized for developing and implementing the NAVAIR Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Acquisition Tool, which replaced the Unison Marketplace platform for Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). Because of Eric’s innovation and diligence, NAWCAD experienced minimal interruptions when the Unison Marketplace contract expired. The NAVAIR BPA Acquisition Tool is critical to continued growth of the small business industrial base, because it provides a means to access more than 200 small business vendors who are part of the BPA program. Since the inception of the BPA Acquisition Tool, NAWCAD has observed increased competition on BPA solicitations, facilitating a more diverse rotation of vendors who can provide increased innovation and speed of capability and service delivery.
NAVAIR SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY AWARD (TEAM)
PMA-260 Common Aviation Support Equipment Program Office
The Common Aviation Support Equipment Program Office (PMA-260) continues to partner with numerous small businesses to satisfy a wide range of Navy and Marine Corps requirements for new aviation support equipment. In FY23, PMA-260 obligated $46.5 million on contracts across 31 small businesses, representing 21.9% of the PMA’s total funding. Small business contract awards included service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses, woman-owned small businesses, historically underutilized business zone small businesses and small disadvantaged businesses. PMA-260’s use of small business represents a strategic advantage – accelerating new capability deliveries to the warfighter and improving readiness with enhanced support equipment for aircraft maintenance and repair, all while strengthening the nation’s vital industrial base.
EDWARD H. HEINEMANN AWARD (TEAM)
Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band Integrated Product Team
The Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band Integrated Product Team implemented a change during developmental testing to the Mid-Band pod design on the EA-18G Growler that saved $3 million in test and engineering investigation costs and six months of flight-testing. The team discovered a loads transfer issue with the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band Aft Pivot Assembly – a pivot arm used to facilitate high-speed jettison. They removed the Aft Pivot Assembly from the design after determining a suitable jettison envelope was still achievable. The team demonstrated exceptional creativity and collaboration across disciplines, working closely with engineering, the program office and fleet operators to provide an acceptable envelope to the fleet without a flight test program – delivering a vital capability to the fleet rapidly and at reduced cost.
“I talk to the fleet, I hear the feedback, I see what’s going on, I see the improvements and outcomes that we are delivering each day,” Chebi said. “The team is doing exceptionally well. Continue to integrate and scale our learning and look for opportunities to improve across this entire organization.”
On Wednesday, May 22, individuals and teams in 10 categories were recognized in the 24th annual NAVAIR Commander’s Awards.
