DAHLGREN, Va. –
Dr. Marietto D. Jeffries, acting principal for the Safety, Combat System Safety Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) and NSWCDD veterans special emphasis program manager under the Equal Employment Opportunity umbrella, received the Department of the Army (DoA) Armed Forces Civilian Medal for his participation with the Department of Defense (DoD)/Health and Human Services COVID-19 Joint Assisted Acquisition team.
The award for assistance during the pandemic recognized DoD civilian employees for supporting qualifying COVID-19 operations and activities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity to support the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to develop future infrastructure to address the possibility of a forthcoming pandemic,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries learned there was a need for the team to have a subject matter expert (SME) in U.S. industrial policy.
Jeffries applied based on previous experience with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit 5, Centers for Disease Control, Fleet Surgical Team 9, as well as experience partnering with state and federal agencies supporting disaster preparedness. He also has experience with the U.S. Navy Central Decontamination and CBRN programs, Navy Logistics, MARCOSYSCOM and Naval Air Systems Command.
As the subject matter expert (SME) for U.S. Industrial Policy, Jeffries provided and supported innovative acquisition practices for the $66 billion Operation Warp Speed vaccine program. He also collaborated with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
Jeffries established direct lines of communication with the program managers of four integrated process teams while providing support to the program management teams. He created the first industrial policy checklist to align with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment ideology to bolster the U.S. supply chain. He reviewed more than 20 pre-contract proposals vying for federal funding to develop a strategy to support future pandemics.
Camilo E. Morales, joint product lead for capacity expansion with the U.S. Army, said Jeffries’ expertise helped expand the domestic manufacturing capacity of mRNA vaccine raw materials, fill and finish facilities, bioprocessing consumables and glass vials.
Morales said Jeffries actively participated in the initiation of SME group meetings, ensuring that technical review comments and concerns were discussed and compiled prior to being sent to the project managers. Morales added that Jeffries’ contributions accelerated the federal government’s COVID-19 response and pandemic preparedness.
“Dr. Jeffries’ flexibility and willingness to delve deep into unfamiliar subjects has been a boon to our organization,” Morales said. “He adapts to change easily, demonstrates an outstanding ability to produce high quality work with great attention to detail and works well under pressure with a positive attitude.”
In addition to Jeffries, Patrick Owens from NSWCDD’s Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Department received the DoA Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal for pandemic support. Owens also detailed with the DoD/Health and Human Services COVID-19 Joint Assisted Acquisition team.