Indian Head, Md. –
Recently retired Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) employee Amy O’Donnell was presented with the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award during an award presentation held at the command June 21.
The Navy Superior Civilian Service Award is the second highest U.S. Navy honorary award and recognizes superior civilian service resulting in high value or benefit to the Navy.
O’Donnell, who started working for the Navy in 1984, received the award for her outstanding service and personal commitment as the command’s deputy technical director from June 2010 to April 2022.
NSWC IHD Technical Director Ashley Johnson opened the ceremony and provided an impressive list of O’Donnell’s contributions to the Navy. The award’s citation read in part: “[O’Donnell] played a central role in the Technical Rigor Revitalization program, reinstating Basic Ordnance Technology, establishing the Basic Indian Head program, and creating the Indian Head University Technical College.” O’Donnell was also instrumental to the Energetics Renaissance. She launched and led the Naval Energetic Assessment in 2017, wrote the 2018 report, and created the energetic past report library of over 50 reports. Following a five-year effort, O’Donnell succeeded in getting Indian Head designated as a Navy Arsenal and Depot under United States Code Section 2474 allowing for Public Private Partnering.
O’Donnell received numerous awards during her career, including the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1996, the NAVSEA Certificate of Excellence for Acquisition Reform in 1997, the DoD Consolidation Executive Working Group Award in 1997, twelve letters of appreciation, and two Distinguished Unit citations for warfighter program assistance.
“[Amy’s] exceptional dedication, initiative and total commitment to duty provided unprecedented benefit to the Warfare Centers, the Naval Sea Systems Command, the United States Navy, and the nation,” said Johnson. “This award is a testimony to her career and the legacy she has built at this command.”
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.