Indian Head, Maryland –
Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) is pleased to honor 16 employees recognized in two different categories at the 2021 Warfare Centers Awards.
This year’s 178 nominations represent the calendar year 2020 accomplishments of 1,315 members from all 10 divisions of the Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers. Established in 2005, the Warfare Centers Awards program recognizes achievements in six categories: the Alan J. Dean Award for Talent Management, the Collaboration Award, the Information Security Award, the Innovation Award, the Knowledge Sharing Award and the Technical Support Services Award. Nominations were reviewed and ranked against the award criteria by a three-member executive Senior Executive Service panel.
NSWC IHD award winners were honored at an Aug. 11 awards presentation at the command. Below is a brief summary of the command’s outstanding accomplishments:
John C. Mickey Award for Collaboration (Warfare Centers’ Blast Assisting Munition Team): NSWC IHD members included Victor Bellitto, Christopher Milby and Rudy Morales
For exemplary collaboration between NSWC Dahlgren Division (DD) and NSWC IHD in the design and assessment of the 57 mm reactive material warhead. The team produced a prototype warhead that increases lethality and reduces costs by requiring fewer rounds. This warhead is ready for qualification and transition to the fleet.
John C. Mickey Award for Collaboration (Warfare Centers’ Mark 41 Vertical Launch System Reload Team): NSWC IHD represented by Cynthia Rodriguez-Correa
For collaborative teaming between NSWC Port Hueneme Division and NSWC IHD Detachment Picatinny (DET PICA) that provided the Navy with a new capability to reload the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System at non-permissive ports using expeditionary reload teams. The team’s efforts resulted in a $7.4 million cost avoidance for the Navy Expeditionary Support Group.
John C. Mickey Award for Collaboration (Warfare Centers’ Other Ship Gun Ammunition Integrated Product Team): NSWC IHD members included Selena Clark, Brian Cole, Thomas Howes, Earl Humphries, Fred King, Brent Morgan, Anthony Mortola, James Paccioretti and Alex Polster
For dedicated collaboration between acquisition engineers at NSWC IHD DET PICA, design agents and test engineers at NSWC DD, gauge engineers at NSWC Corona Division, and explosive and propellant engineers at NSWC IHD with international and U.S. suppliers to ensure the on-time delivery of 20 mm to 40 mm ammunition. The team saved $3.2 million for the program office through decreased data deliverable cycle time and accelerated production schedules for high demand Navy ammunition.
Technical Support Services Award (NSWC IHD’s Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Shipboard Quarantine and Isolation Team): Bruce Corso, Tyler Schell and Kurt Thoele
For providing extraordinary contributions in the rapid development of shipboard quarantine and isolation procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team leveraged their expertise in CBR collective protection with knowledge of shipboard integration challenges specific to each ship platform to generate necessary guidelines.
NSWC IHD — a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Establishment — is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.
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