Six of the ten Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Center Divisions, including individuals and teams, from across the nation were recognized at the FY19 1st and 2nd Quarter Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) Excellence Awards ceremony held at the Washington Navy Yard, May 9. The PEO IWS Excellence Awards are presented twice a year and acknowledge individuals, teams and organizations that have made significant contributions to PEO IWS.
1st Quarter NSWC Dahlgren Division Individual Winners:
Todd Damon is recognized for his outstanding leadership as Mission Thread Test Team lead. He led the effort to evaluate over 16,000 baseline 9.2.1 requirements for applicability to mission thread testing, resulting in the development of unique validation criteria for approximately 2,500 requirements. This greatly increased our test and evaluation process efficiency with an overall cost savings of 45 percent and an estimated 50 percent reduced execution time. During testing, Damon harnessed a key modification to the Aegis Display System Replay tool that allows for recording of all three tactical monitors. His superb efforts enhanced the ability to conduct data analysis and test observation resolution for mission threads and potentially other targeted testing events.
Theresa Gennaro is recognized for her outstanding performance as project lead for the Optical Dazzling Interdictor program. Her leadership paved the way for a government-led inherent design, build, and installation of a directed energy capability onto multiple fleet assets. She provided technical expertise and direction in the areas of payload and gimbal development, thermal management, power supplies, combat systems interface, operator console and controls, and safety deconfliction systems. Her team impressively tailored systems engineering technical reviews to ensure the highest standards of technical rigor. She ensured the program’s success and provided technical growth areas to be further pursued in the area of directed energy.
1st Quarter Warfare Center Division Team Winners:
AEGIS Virtualization Team - NSWC Dahlgren Division: John Clarke, Dennis Larsen, Ashby Hall, Angelica Cruz-Diaz, James Flowers, Jonathan Higgins, Christopher Morton, Christopher Childs, Check Louie, Denayja Boone, Terry Gwinn, Terrell Evans, James Taylor, William Higginbotham, Steven Shannon, and Rick Sandlin.
The Aegis Virtualization Team provided key leadership and engineering rigor in efforts to execute an SM-2 live-fire, anti-air warfare engagement at sea using the virtualized Aegis baseline aboard the USS Thomas Hudner. The success of this demonstration proved that the virtualized Baseline 9 Aegis Weapon System performs the same as the tactical weapon system for the demanding needs of an SM-2 missile engagement with stringent timelines. Each team member’s exceptional technical skills and hard work has accelerated the Aegis program to achieving fleet-wide Aegis virtualization, delivering and sustaining operationally dominant combat systems to the hands of our sailors.
The Counter Advanced Threat (CAT) Test Team - NSWC Crane Division: Jeff Maynen, Michael Kinkaid, Russ Thies, and NSWC Dahlgren Division: Michael Jessee, Robert Nees, Michael Miller.
The Counter Advanced Threat test team performed superbly in meeting an ever-ambitious schedule to streamline the payload testing effort and demonstrate the critical electronic warfare capability in the latest version of Nulka. The team handled last minute schedule changes, system failures, and proposed modifications, applying their expert knowledge and experience to resolve problems and ensure proper execution. The team’s steadfast work ethic and dedication to mission was instrumental in completing all critical testing that met performance requirements and provided the reliability necessary to move to the Low Rate Initial Production phase of the CAT program.
JAPAN Ship ATAGO Team - NSWC Dahlgren Division: Jesse Dilbeck, Dean Dunlop and NSWC Port Hueneme Division: Sean Lee, Neil Isherwood, Cody Shea, and Michael Connolly.
The Japan Atago Team completed a significant overhaul culminating in precedent-setting Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) and Japan Flight Test Mission events. The destroyer now possesses Integrated Air Missile Defense and enhanced signal processing capabilities, expanding the global footprint of Aegis interoperability. The team worked tirelessly in the face of myriad challenges, developing, testing, and installing numerous performance fixes. The ship successfully tested all mission areas during her CSSQT, tracked a separating ballistic missile defense (BMD) target, and engaged a separating BMD target with an updated SM-3 Block IB.
2nd Quarter NSWC Dahlgren Divisions Individual Winners:
Leanne Kelly is recognized for her support of PEO IWS 1.0 Aegis Baseline 10 as the Assistant Program Manager, coordinating a 300-person team across multiple enterprises. She led the Aegis Baseline 10 software development and conducted the latest Flag-to-Flag Baseline 10 review between PEO IWS and the Missile Defense Agency. Kelly has ensured the coordination and delivery of 34 elements into the fleet’s newest and most complex integrated combat system. Her leadership has positioned the program to be 0.81 percent ahead of schedule and on a glideslope to achieve up to 10 percent risk margin in schedule by implementing innovative efficiency methods in software development.
Eric Schroeder’s technical expertise and innovative thinking in the area of laser weapons integration has established him as a leader in the field. He led the future combat system integration efforts of laser weapon systems, including leading the Weapons Domain Laser Controller portion of the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance program through a successful milestone preliminary design review. His common integration strategy enables on-schedule rapid prototyping and faster delivery of capabilities to the fleet. His forward-thinking and collaborative efforts have notably provided a focus on commonality and enterprise architecture solutions for maximum flexibility and reuse across surface Navy laser weapon systems.
2nd Quarter Warfare Center Division Team Winners:
Combat System Certification Instruction Review Team - NSWC Dahlgren Division: Shannon Settles and Carol Galloway
Aggressively challenging assumptions and prior certification history, this cross-organizational team conducted an exhaustive, bottoms-up overhaul of the Integrated Combat System Certification Instruction. The team’s assessment of current certification processes and documents identified numerous opportunities for efficiency and increased system engineering rigor. The team rewrote the instruction to streamline activities, align systems engineering processes, and increase program manager flexibility and accountability, all while emphasizing sound engineering practices to the benefit of the entire Fleet.
Optical Dazzling Interdictor (ODIN) Gimbal Design Team - NSWC Dahlgren Division: Matthew Lehr, Timothy Peng, Jonathan Crook, Michael Koehler, Aaron Williams, Tyson Hensel, Denver Walling, Andrew Smith, Jonathan Scroggins, Matthew Henning, Alex Havrilla, Douglas Hopkins, Timothy Niemcyzk, Joseph Pingleton, and Scott Phipps.
This team successfully designed and built a government-owned gimbal prototype to meet an initial deployment schedule planned for 2019. In less than 19 months, the team designed, procured, assembled, and began initial testing on the Optical Dazzling Interdictor gimbal. The team’s experience under the Naval Innovative Science and Engineering laboratory reinvestment program combined with lessons learned from previous mount design efforts allowed the team to rapidly establish requirements and complete a prototype-level design in less than six months. The initial test fit with the payload was a resounding success, marking a huge milestone in the design effort. This prototype will support and guide the first laser-based countermeasure system delivered to the Navy.
Test & Evaluation Tools Group - NSWC Dahlgren Division: Brian Dillon, Lucas Durham, Dylan Kane, and Jeffrey Shaffer.
The Test and Evaluation Tools team from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren is responsible for implementing several tool innovations directly resulting in quantifiable schedule and cost savings and increasing requirements coverage. The team developed a common tool framework that addresses redundancies in tool features and incompatibility across programs. By modularizing functions, the team was able to maximize re-use, decrease errors, and accelerate knowledge transfer and knowledge management. Several automation innovations have already demonstrated significant efficiencies, saving thousands of labor hours annually. The sailor will benefit from receiving thoroughly tested tactical systems more quickly and at a reduced cost.
Air Dominance Department’s DDG 51-Class Combat System Post Delivery Team - NSWC Port Hueneme Division: Kevin Kiser is recognized for his extraordinary dedication and leadership while supporting the Air Dominance Department’s DDG 51-Class Combat System Post Delivery Team. He re-envisioned the role of a Logistics Representative and became the preliminary point of contact for new ships regarding any logistics concerns. Kiser acquired, expedited, and delivered a total of 269 line items and obligated a total net value of nearly $2 million, while saving over $878,000. To ensure future success for other new construction ships, Kiser revitalized the Logistics Support Plan and captured lessons learned in a Standard Operating Procedure for fellow logisticians. Kiser’s expertise and commitment to providing the best support to the fleet is unparalleled.
HMAS Hobart CSSQT Team – NSWC Corona Division: Zeferino Medina and NSWC Port Hueneme Division: John Aldis, Craig Williams, Joseph Lara, Christopher Moore, Melvin Reyes, and Antoine Snow
The HMAS Hobart Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) marked a monumental milestone for both the Royal Australian and the United States Navies. HMAS Hobart was the first-in-class delivery of the Aegis combat system and underwent a challenging and ambitious first of class ship CSSQT. The team successfully completed 34 of 34 events including 10 successful missile launches against multiple targets that included supersonics over 19 at-sea test days at Point Mugu Sea Range. The team showed tireless dedication overcoming obstacles of weather and target reliability. Through an extraordinary effort, the complex firing events were rescheduled and flawlessly executed in record time.
Electronic Chart Display and Information System-Navy (ECDIS-N) Acceleration Team – NSWC Philadelphia Division: Benito Martinez, Joe Lopez, Tim Becker, Dan Weissgerber, Randy Watson, James Vaites, Bill Long, Mike Morton, Bob Becker, Jim Meehan, Randy Justus, Craig Myers, Paul Orvis, Shawn Anderson, Tony Taylor, Emmanuel Stokes, Jager Ziegenfuss, Julianne Warner, William Porter, Timothy Cruse.
The Electronic Chart Display and Information System-Navy (ECDIS-N) team demonstrated initiative and acquisition excellence in supporting the U.S. Fleet Forces Comprehensive Review Team recommendations that included the acceleration of ECDIS-N Voyage Management System installs. After two devastating ship collisions in the Pacific, the team assisted in reviewing surface mishap investigation reports, source documentation, training curricula, and equipment design criteria to help Sailors display, update, and manipulate electronic charts, plan routes, and navigate safely. They also completed 65 software installations across all ship classes and generated the Navigation Self-Help Website as a central repository for the benefit of our Sailors.
Ship Self Defense System and Advanced Combat Direction System Wholeness Task Force – NSWC Dahlgren Division: Phil Koelsch. NSWC Port Hueneme Division: Matthew Parry, Timothy Cook. NUWC Keyport Division: Neil Baird
In response to a request from the Commander, Naval Surface Forces, PEO IWS stood up a task force to conduct a coordinated assessment of the state of readiness of all variants of the Ship Self Defense System and Advanced Combat Direction System. The team established a war room, gathered experts from multiple organizations, and maintained a weekly drumbeat of meetings over seven months to collect, consolidate, and analyze a large volume of readiness data. They briefed leadership and delivered a comprehensive final report with more than 100 recommendations that when implemented will increase the availability of SSDS-based combat systems, improve readiness, and deliver increased capabilities to our Sailors.
USS Ross SEARAM INSURV Team – NSWC Indian Head EOD Technology Division: Tanya Busayadilok, Michelle Collins, Frederick Huang, Richard McDonough. NSWC Port Hueneme Division: Alan Corey.
This team demonstrated outstanding professionalism and superb dedication in ensuring the success of the first Board of Inspection and Survey rehearsal event and material inspection of SeaRAM aboard the USS Ross. The team quickly updated the Detect to Engage Instruction to address how to adequately test the performance of the system onboard, integral to establishing a common standard for future SeaRAM destroyers. The team’s technical acumen and system knowledge paved the way for the success of future inspections and has increased the overall material condition of readiness for the Navy’s forward deployed surface combatants.
Aegis Technical Representative Sailor Development Team – NSWC Dahlgren Division: Nathaniel Melvin
The Sailor Development Team pioneered a new testing paradigm that is certain to influence future efforts to integrate each Aegis computer program element and test the weapon system on tactical hardware. This team supports contractor development efforts earlier than ever before, providing much needed Fleet feedback synchronized with development efforts. The team’s discovery, investigation, and adjudication of 310 proposed revisions prior to certification saves the government approximately $15 million. They supported tests to determine the maintainability of weapon systems, and to assess systems in operationally realistic environments, putting Sailors in charge of tactical proficiency and dynamic employment.