DAHLGREN, Va. –
A member of the multi-talented Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) workforce earned a prestigious new accolade in October. Saxfield T. Chatmon, an electrical engineer at NSWCDD Dam Neck Activity (DNA), was recognized with the 2021 Rising Star Award, organized and presented by the Government Executive family of publications under the umbrella of the Government Innovation Awards program. Chatmon was one of just seven Rising Star awardees selected from across the entire 4.2 million-strong federal workforce. The award criteria sought out individuals for their “outsized impact,” “accomplishments over the past year and leadership potential in this community,” according to a description provided by organizers.
Chatmon’s award specifically highlighted his essential role on three projects, including executive communications support cases he helped bring in on schedule and without additional cost by repurposing scrap 3D printer material. The award also cites Chatmon’s development of a tailored systems engineering approach for a navigation cyber enclave project, which accounts for the program’s rapid prototyping and rapid fielding nature. Additionally, Chatmon’s efforts were invaluable to a field-programmable gate array signal processing effort, in which he developed an innovative proposal to leverage unused lab resources to solve a signal detection challenge.
“Saxfield stepped up and conquered anything we gave him. And he did it with a positive attitude,” said Meggan Schoenberg, Advanced Technology Department branch head at NSWCDD DNA. “He’s hardworking, dedicated, brilliantly smart and very much a go-getter. He really deserves this award.”
Separate from work, Chatmon also finds time to give back to his local community as a volunteer firefighter. Chatmon’s last day at NSWCDD DNA was July 31, 2021.