WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr., director of Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), presented awards to the recipients of the 2026 Director’s Awards and 2026 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Lifetime Achievement Awards at the biannual Steering Task Group Meeting on May 13, 2026. Wolfe presented two Director’s Award and four FBM Lifetime Achievement Awards to some of its most experienced leaders.
“Today, we are recognizing six individuals for their outstanding contribution to our strategic deterrence mission,” Wolfe said. “These exceptional individuals have contributed significantly to the FBM community and have demonstrated an unparalleled degree of technical excellence through their robust work.”
The Director’s Awards are presented annually with the purpose of recognizing the personal contributions of the SSP government team. To date, only 50 people have received the Director’s Award, including this year’s recipients.
The FBM Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes personnel from industry partners who support PAE SSP’s mission and demonstrate an unparalleled degree of professionalism and excellence. To date, 121 people have received the award, including this year’s recipients. The FBM Lifetime Achievement Award is sponsored by SSP Historical, Educational and Recognition Organization (HERO), an all-volunteer 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Organization which works to promote awareness and appreciation of the partnership between government and private industry in the development and maintenance of the Navy’s FBM program.
Highlights of each winner’s achievements demonstrating their contribution to strengthening the FBM team and upholding the standard of excellence that underpins the nation’s sea based strategic deterrent are below:
Director’s Award: Ms. Kelly Lee, Executive Director and Deputy Director for N00NW, SES, PAE SSP
Through 35 years of service to the program, Ms. Lee has provided technical expertise and a high-level understanding of weapon system processes that have contributed to critical developments within the Trident II D5 Life Extension program. Ms. Lee is integral in modernizing PAE SSP’s enterprise operations, enabling critical upgrades to organizational structure and processes, creating a lasting impact to PAE SSP’s future success. Ms. Lee has deeply committed to developing people, creating a lasting legacy through her mentorship for the next generation of PAE SSP leaders. She is an active supporter and advocate for PAE SSP’s growing leadership programs and, in the past 11 years, contributed to 230 employees graduating the command’s Senior Leadership Institute program and 336 employees graduating from the Mid-Level Leadership Institute program.
Director’s Award: Ms. Tracy Arnold-Berrios, SES, Technical Director, PAE SSP
Throughout her 25 years of service to the FBM program, Ms. Arnold-Berrios has led crucial programs for guided missile submarines (SSGN), infrastructure, and nuclear weapon safety and surety, demonstrating a high degree of technical rigor and program management. Her innate ability to mentor and support her team enables success across the PAE SSP enterprise. As the second civilian technical director in SSP’s 70-year history, Ms. Arnold-Barrios is leading a period of once-in-a-generation rapid development. Ms. Arnold-Berrios’ commitment to her workforce has shown exemplary leadership through her mentoring and coaching. Her teams not only have a proven track record, but also have an exceptionally high promotion rate and extraordinary morale. Her achievements have been fundamental to providing a credible sea-based strategic weapons system.
FBM Lifetime Achievement Award: Mr. Michael Baron, EMCUBE, Inc.
For more than 57 years, Mr. Baron was critical to the design, development, production, and fleet support of the sea-based strategic weapons system, spanning four generations of the system. Mr. Baron supported everything from the Poseidon's initiation sequences to the Trident II D5 boost-control operations. His technical expertise and dedicated mentorship of PAE SSP engineering duty officers have ensured continued program success.
This award was presented posthumously to Mr. Baron. His son, Mr. David Baron, is carrying on the tradition of PAE SSP support as an industry partner and accepted the award on his father’s behalf.
FBM Lifetime Achievement Award: Mr. Phillip Robidoux, Lockheed Martin Space
For 45 years, Mr. Robidoux has served as subject matter expert in strategic weapons systems interfaces. Mr. Robidoux made a lasting impact on the program through his contributions to Trident II D5 initiatives, including efforts within the electronic parts and proofing test missile arenas. Mr. Robidoux also created knowledge sharing platforms that enabled stable knowledge transfer to ensure mission-success across generations of the workforce. His achievements were fundamental to providing a credible and affordable sea-based strategic weapons system.
FBM Lifetime Achievement Award: Mr. Thomas Demo, Lockheed Martin Space
For 44 years, Mr. Demo has supported the program as a propulsion systems expert. Mr. Demo led the program’s system engineering and integration team’s continuous evaluation efforts, which have enabled PAE SSP to sustain superior performance within its strategic weapons systems. His continued mentorship of engineers has ensured that the program maintains a high standard of technical proficiency and professionalism.
FBM Lifetime Achievement Award: Mr. Eddie Black, BAE Systems, Inc.
For 47 years, Mr. Black provided critical expertise to the program through his work in strategic weapons system system-level test validation. His work was invaluable to the program’s system integration process throughout the last four decades. Mr. Black’s mentorship to the next generation instilled institutional expertise at every level of the program, supporting PAE SSP’s mission success long into the future.
At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, Wolfe looked at the awardees families and personally thanked each of them for their sacrifice and unwavering support of the PAE SSP mission through their support to their loved one.
“We would not be able to do our jobs as well as we do – as effectively as we do without everything you do for us at home,” he said. “The long hours at the office, the time away from home, and the travel involved is a sacrifice our you all make. It’s time away from family, but it is because of you that we can carry out this critical mission and heavy burden together. Thank you.”
PAE SSP is responsible for sustaining the strategic weapon system on the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and supporting the integration of the D5LE weapon system on the new Columbia-class SSBNs. Looking to the future, SSP is actively modernizing the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad through the development of the D5LE2 SWS and pioneering regional strike capabilities of the future through development of the nuclear-armed sea launched cruise missile and the non-nuclear hypersonic conventional prompt strike system.