Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NSWC IHEODTD) held the annual Honorary Awards ceremony, May 20, at the Indian Head Town Pavilion to recognize those individuals and teams who made significant contributions to fulfilling IHEODTD’s mission during calendar year 2013.
“Today’s ceremony is about recognizing those dedicated employees whose very actions epitomize commitment to excellence in quality, safety, customer service, diversity, integrity, innovation, and teamwork,” said NSWC IHEODTD Commanding Officer Capt. Thomas Smith. “In 2013 we merged the former Naval EOD Technology Division [NAVEODTECHDIV] with the former NSWC Indian Head Division. This is the first year that this awards ceremony will recognize employees from ‘both sides of the Creek’ as well as our detachment in Picatinny, N.J. By merging together, the organizations have increased their capacity, become more operationally effective, and improved our support to the warfighter. This year we are proud to add a new award to this prestigious employee recognition program. The Lance Corporal T.J. Honeycutt Award for Forward Deployed Service is named for a dedicated Charles County Marine who died serving his country.”
AWARD CRITERIA / RECIPIENT(S) / ACHIEVEMENT:
Roger M. Smith Team Award focuses on the contributions made through teaming efforts to improve the organization’s performance and effectiveness to meet customer needs. Two teams were awarded in this category. Mk 45 Gun Mount In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) team ensures the Fleet’s five-inch Mk 45 gun mounts on cruisers, destroyers, and shore-based platforms are fully operational and configured with the latest technical improvements. The team develops engineering change proposals and ordnance alterations (ORDALTs) to continually improve in-service gun mounts; and performs ORDALT installations during ship availabilities. The team is also responsible for on-site technical assistance and emergent response gun mounts repairs whether pier side or deployed. The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) team provided a unique National capability to characterize emerging IED threats by engineering designs, developing computer modeling, procuring materials, performing a hazard analysis, and establishing test procedures in a short period of time. As a result, the primary customer received timely results, subsequent customers followed quickly with additional work to examine different configurations and data collection requirements. Overall, this team was able to safely establish a unique National capability, and show IHEODTD’s leadership and expertise in characterizing IEDs.
Project Manager of the Year Award a project manager who has made a significant contribution to the planning and execution of his/her assigned project(s) the past year. Michelle Goedert, 2.75-inch Rocket Launchers Project Manager, was recognized for her work as the project manager of Navy and Air Force 2.75-inch rocket launchers, and for leading her team to meet a major milestone in providing the fleet with the Digital Rocket Launcher (DRL). The launcher has been developed to provide advanced capabilities for the 2.75-Inch rocket system on the MH-60S helicopters. Under Goedert’s direction, the team built demonstration units, built DRL emulators for testing, passed qualification tests, conducted ground launcher functional firings, conducted MH-60 firings during Fleet Quick Reaction Assessment, and manufactured the first 22 rocket launchers for field activity use. Goedert’s leadership helped provide a new weapon system to the Fl
