HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. - Members of the Battle Management and Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks Directorate garnered a variety of awards during the fourth annual Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Acquisition Management Awards Ceremony Dec. 13.
The awards recognize and honor individuals and teams who have demonstrated excellence in managing acquisition and test programs. Although the ceremony is hosted in person at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, LCMC operating locations, including Hanscom, were connected via video teleconference.
Kevin Keck, Acquisition Excellence and Program Execution director, was the host of the event. He encouraged everyone to pay close attention to the nomination wording.
“Listen to these citations,” he said. “You’re going to hear really great examples of speed, delivering urgent needs to the operator, great examples of overcoming unpredictable technical problems in a program, major milestones being met through very turbulent conditions - our PMs pulling programs together at the highest level of the Air Force in the face of big adversity and big programmatic setbacks and still managing to preserve stakeholder buy in.”
The directorates won in categories ranging from program management to process improvement and foreign military sales. In the outstanding program management for acquisition categories, which recognize noteworthy and significant achievements, resourcefulness and leadership ability in performing acquisition program manager duties, Battle Management had four winners.
For outstanding program management for acquisition category III, civilian, Dennis W. Walker from the Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division at Robins AFB, Ga., was the winner. He was nominated for his superior performance on the modification and fielding of the third Senior Year Electro Optical Reconnaissance System-2C, allowing for increased geospatial intelligence data. Walker also redefined a vital procurement effort by establishing a competitive buy strategy.
Lt. Col. Brian M. Clifford won for outstanding program management for acquisition category II for military. Clifford was honored for his work directing a $407 million cooperative flight deck upgrade between the U.S. and NATO, which culminated with the first successful test flights. He also forged a concurrent cooperative program to develop and field the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Out capability, saving the Air Force $2 million.
For acquisition category I, military, outstanding program management, Col. Dave Learned was the winner. Learned led a 120-member team tasked with delivering the chief of staff of the Air Force’s number four acquisition priority. He and his team completed three Defense Acquisition Boards in less than 11 months, including Milestone A. He also finalized operational, system and technical architectures that enabled Joint Requirements Oversight Council approval of a Major Defense Acquisition Program Capability Development Document, a critical prerequisite to initiating weapon system development.
Stacy A.K. Furcini, located at Offutt AFB, Neb., was the winner for outstanding program management, acquisition category I, civilian. He was responsible for the execution of $1.6 billion in programs and more than 200 personnel at a geographically separated unit, acquiring critical war planning systems in direct support of the commander, U.S. Strategic Command. Furcini was instrumental in developing an innovative acquisition strategy for the modernization of our nation’s nuclear planning system.
In the process improvement categories, the C3I&N Directorate had both individual and team winners, while Battle Management also had an individual winner. These awards recognize individual and teams that demonstrate exemplary creativity and rigor in the incorporation of continuous process improvement principles, tools and techniques in solving acquisition problems and generating acquisition efficiency.
The Kill Chain Integration Team won for CPI team. The team brought pioneering technology concepts to combat operations by providing tangible products and services through Joint Urgent Operational Need deliveries to joint and coalition warfighters. Not only did they enhance just-in-time capabilities, but they leveraged technology experts, leading manufacturer practices and rapid program management procedures.
In the CPI individual category, there was a tie between Capt. Mary Nelson from C3I&N and Col. Raymond Wier, Battle Management. Nelson partnered closely with the Royal Australian Air Force to flight test battle management command and control enhancements and collected key data analysis to enable future system enhancements. Wier sought opportunities for process improvements by challenging the status quo within multiple programs and processes in the Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division.
For Foreign Military Sales, Lloyd L. Corricelli from Battle Management won the Senior FMS program management award. This award recognizes successful management of an international program or project, or portfolio of projects that is substantiated by improvements to management of such by a civilian or military PM at the rank of Lt. Col., GS-14 or above. As deputy chief for the division, Corricelli lead a $3.5 billion portfolio providing airborne command control capabilities to Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Turkey, Japan, Saudi Arabia and NATO. He also oversaw fielding of French Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft to the upgraded Block 40/45, allowing for immediate deployment.
A Battle Management member also won in the outstanding acquisition staff, civilian, category. Christopher A. Richard received this award, which recognizes noteworthy and significant achievements, resourcefulness and leadership ability in performing acquisition staff officer duties. Richard demonstrated superior leadership overseeing planning, execution and reporting for a directorate that spans 13 divisions at six geographically separate units with a program portfolio valued at more than $24 billion. He directly supervised two of the directorate’s most complex and high-priority major defense acquisition programs, Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Recapitalization and Mission Planning Systems.
Winners will now move on to compete at the Air Force Materiel Command and Secretary of the Air Force-Acquisition levels.