KEYPORT, Wash. –
Jim Bleich, SSTM, acting technical director at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, was recently awarded the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award. The award was in recognition of his exceptional leadership and contributions to the field of undersea warfare from May 2020 to April 2025.
The award nomination praised the unwavering commitment and unparalleled expertise Bleich has shown throughout his 40-year career spearheading significant advancements in USW capabilities, including the development and implementation of revolutionary sustainment approaches for the Virginia-class submarine. He also facilitated the rapid, three-month transition of the AN/UYQ-70 submarine combat system consoles contract to NUWC Division, Keyport, ensuring the continuous delivery of these essential components for submarine modernization efforts. This action positioned Keyport as a key administrator for future technology insertion hardware contracts.
Bleich's leadership was instrumental in transforming the Undersea and Combat Systems Depot Division into a highly effective operation integrated with the torpedo enterprise. As a department head, he revitalized the Undersea Weapons Department, driving sustained execution excellence and achieving year-over-year improvements in weapons output and quality. He also established NUWC Division, Keyport as the in-service engineering activity for three new classes of unmanned undersea vehicles.
Before coming to Keyport in 1998, Mr. Bleich spent 13 years honing his expertise in naval systems as a defense contractor. During this time, he supported various Navy programs and served as an on-site representative in a government shop. His work focused on developing engineering solutions for in-service engineering, depot operations and logistics, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the naval domain. This valuable experience laid the foundation for his subsequent leadership and contributions at NUWC Division, Keyport.
“Mr. Bleich’s distinguished service and unparalleled commitment to duty provided unprecedented benefits to the Warfare Centers, the Naval Sea Systems Command, the Undersea Weapons Community, and the United States Navy,” stated the nomination.
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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport is headquartered in the state of Washington on the Puget Sound, about 10 miles west of Seattle. To provide ready support to Fleet operational forces at all major Navy homeports in the Pacific, NUWC Division, Keyport maintains detachments in San Diego, California and Honolulu, Hawaii, and remote operating sites in Guam; Japan; Hawthorne, Nevada; and Portsmouth, Virginia. At NUWC Division, Keyport, our diverse and highly skilled team of engineers, scientists, technicians, administrative professionals and industrial craftsmen work tirelessly to develop, maintain and sustain undersea warfare superiority for the United States.