Photo By Monica Mccoy | Richard Bishop, a naval architect in the Full Scale Trials Branch (Code 853), receives...... read more read more
For the 17th year, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) recognized their best and brightest during the 2015 Magnificent Eight Division Honor Awards ceremony in West Bethesda, Maryland, Aug. 31, 2016.
“The Magnificent Eight ceremony, at its heart, really recognizes the commitment the men and women who work for the Navy have to our Sailors and to the Fleet,” said Dr. Tim Arcano, technical director for NSWCCD. “Each of the Magnificent Eight award namesakes inspires us to greatness.”
The awards are named for Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr., Rear Adm. Grace M. Hopper, Rear Adm. Benjamin F. Isherwood, Vice Adm. Emory S. Land, Donald F. McCormack, Rear Adm. George W. Melville, Capt. Harold E. Saunders and Carderock’s founding father, Rear Adm. David W. Taylor.
For each award, the recipients received a medal depicting the likeness of the award’s namesake, along with a pen with a compass rose design.
Dr. Donald McCormack, executive director for Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Center and for whom the McCormack award is named, attended the ceremony.
“The contributions of Carderock are well known throughout the entire Navy,” McCormack said. “It’s the birthplace for America’s Navy, and you should be proud of what you do. If you think about what has been accomplished here, these are the technical leaders of the organization, the technical leaders of the Navy.”
McCormack also said that collaboration is a key element in the success of many of the awardees, as well as the rest of the warfare centers and the Navy. He emphasized the newest initiative being pushed by Navy leadership, high-velocity learning, and said it is something the warfare centers have been doing since their inception.
“It is understanding the problem, swarming the right group of people to solve the problem, and then it’s sharing those results across the entire enterprise,” McCormack said. “The Navy’s success is really the cumulative effect of all of our employees across the warfare centers and across the Navy.”
Collaboration and team effort was a consistent theme as each awardee made remarks after receiving their award. Each said that their success was not their own and that their colleagues deserved the award as much.
“This was our great American experiment in cooperation and coordination,” Dave Sudduth said about the Navy Materials Community of Interest (COI) that earned the McCormack Director’s Award for Warfare Center Collaboration. Sudduth is a program manager for the Survivability, Structures, Materials and Environmental Department (Code 60).
The COI included members from across all the warfare centers, including Timothy Tenopir from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Port Hueneme Division, who was able to attend the ceremony. Other team members for the McCormack award were David Rich of NSWCCD; Aaron Wiest, Rebecca Stevens and Dylan Switzer of NSWC, Corona Division; Steve Seghi and Yunusa Balogun of NSWC, Crane Division; Susan Bartyczak and Karen Long of NSWC, Dahlgren Division; Jason Jouet of NSWC, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Technology Division; Thomas Ramotowski of Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Newport Divisions; Kyle Morris of NUWC Keyport Division; and Darryl Updegrove of NSWC Panama City Division.
Sudduth also received the Land Award, which recognizes an individual for, among other contributions, promoting the value and benefits of collaborative working relationships.
“Collaboration has been part of my journey,” Sudduth said. “The people I work with have become family. So, when I talk about collaboration, you’re the collaborators, you deserve this award as much.”
Another team award was the Saunders Award, which recognizes the exemplary achievement in leadership of a major technical area or project. William Hertel, a mechanical engineer for the Solid Waste, P2 (pollution prevention) and Hazardous Material Management Branch (Code 634), and Tracy Harasti, an environmental specialist also for Code 634, received the award for their work on the Mobile Non-Skid Cleaning, Recovery and Recycling System (MCRRS), which is a shipboard, heavy-duty, self-powered cleaning vehicle that uses water jet technology, integrated water recovery and recycling to clean and remove debris from non-skid surfaces.
“We worked to bring to the fleet a piece of equipment that not only could be operated and maintained by 19-year-old Sailors, but was also a model for other equipment on the flight deck,” Harasti said of the MCRSS.
The categories for the awards include not only technical successes, but also non-technical roles. The Gravely award is given for contributions to the promotion of understanding of cultural difference and to furthering equal opportunity at all levels within the workplace. The head of the Acoustic Signatures Technology Department (Code 72), Marylou McNamara, accepted the Gravely Award.
“It has become increasingly evident that diversity in the workplace can drive creativity and innovation,” McNamara said. “Every person brings a unique perspective that is shaped by our individuality. All of us need to consciously challenge ourselves to ensure equal opportunity for all, and to include diverse perspectives, ideas and experiences. Quite frankly, it’s our responsibility.”
Another award for a non-technical role was given to Michael Vukovich, the acquisition manager for Ship Signatures Department (Code 7072). He received the Hopper Award for his accomplishments in organizational support resulting in improved products or processes, particularly within the Ohio-Replacement Program, the Navy’s acquisition program for ballistic missile submarines.
“At the end of the day, it’s important for all of us to realize why we are here, especially those of us in support roles, and that’s to support the fleet,” Vukovich said.
One theme that was clear during the acceptance speeches was recognition of Carderock’s support to the fleet. McCormack told the awardees and the audience during his remarks that it was important that they visit the fleet to get the sense of what they are working toward. And Michael Coakley agreed as he accepted the Isherwood Award for his innovation and expertise in technological solutions for the fleet, specifically for his leadership in the development of a ship control systems design to support a submarine’s unique mission requirements.
“I’ve had opportunities to go to sea; watching the crews perform, from the lowest-ranking seaman to the ship’s captain, gave me a real appreciation for the hard work and dedication that each one gives on a day-to-day basis,” said Coakley, a systems group leader in the Ship Control Branch (Code 861). “With the knowledge and understanding of what the crews needed, I worked with the technical community to get their recommendations implemented.”
Dr. John Miesner, an engineer in the Structural Acoustics and Target Strength Branch (Code 722), also remarked about his support of the fleet. Miesner received the Melville Award for his contributions toward research and development. He has submitted 12 patent disclosures in the last two years in the area of actuator technology and acoustic signature mitigation.
“Sometimes, I think we forget how lucky we are to work for an organization where we have one goal, one common purpose, and that is to produce the best products we can, and the most powerful Navy we can for the United States of America,” Miesner said. “That’s our only purpose for being here.”
The final award presented was the Taylor Award. Kurt Junghans, a mechanical engineer in the Hydrodynamics and Maneuvering Simulation Branch (Code 862), received the award for his contributions to the development of future maritime systems, specifically as the driving force behind a submarine maneuvering simulation. And like the other recipients, Junghans credited not only his current Carderock colleagues for his successes, but also mentors and former colleagues.
“When I think about the people that molded my career, the words that come to mind are dedication, drive, enthusiasm and technical experts with the focal point always being the capability and safety of our fleet,” Junghans said, adding that despite changes in the workforce, he still sees the same dedication, drive and enthusiasm from his Carderock colleagues.
Capt. Rich Blank, commanding officer for NSWCCD, ended the ceremony by congratulating the awardees and recognizing that each award is not simply named after a prestigious Navy officer or leader, but after true giants who have accomplished the extraordinary.
“Even if you can’t achieve what the award namesakes’ have accomplished, it will be great to strive for the same level of excellence, to be as innovative, imaginative and farsighted as they were,” Blank said. “My challenge to you is to continue their legacy.”
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2017 14:38 |
| Story ID: | 225063 |
| Location: | WEST BETHESDA, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 416 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Carderock Division honors its 'Magnificent Eight', by Kelley Stirling, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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