By NAVAIR Public Affairs Office

The 2005 NAVAIR Commander’s National Award winners will be recognized by NAVAIR Commander Vice Admiral Wally Massenburg at the Commander’s National Award ceremony on Thursday, June 15, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the atrium of the RADM William A. Moffett Building at Patuxent River, Md.

The ceremony is open to all NAVAIR employees and will be broadcast live to all main NAVAIR sites via video teleconferencing. The ceremony can also be viewed live throughout NAS Patuxent River on VISIONS Channel 12.

The Commander’s National Award, the highest team award within the Naval Air Systems Command, recognizes the achievements of teams that have successfully supported the main goals of the Command.

There were 86 award nominations submitted this year for five award categories that align with NAVAIR’s business functions. They are: Business Operations; Logistics/Industrial; Program Management; Quality of Service; and Research, Development, Test & Evaluation and Technology.

The winning teams this year were chosen because they best epitomized NAVAIR’s goals. Nominations for each category were judged by the following evaluation factors: balancing current and future readiness; reducing our costs of doing business; improving agility; ensuring alignment; implementing Fleet-driven metrics; improving total workforce environment.

The Quality of Service Category evaluation factor’s also included quality of service/customer service.

The winning team for the 2005 NAVAIR Commander’s Award in the category of Business Operations is the Total Force Readiness Team co-led by Karen Holcomb, RDML William Shannon, Diane Balderson and Captain D. Graff, from NAVAIR Headquarters. The team members are from NAVAIR Headquarters, Commander Naval Air Forces (CNAF), Chief of Naval Operations and VAQ-Wing.

The first runner-up in that category is the Workload Acceptance Task Team led by Regina A. Hansell of NAWC-AD Patuxent River. Her team members come from Lakehurst, N.J., Orlando, Fl., China Lake, Ca. and Patuxent River, Md.

The second runner-up is the Workload Planning and Staffing Team led by Pamela Aroesty of NAVAIR Headquarters. That team is made up of members from Patuxent River.

In the category of Logistics/Industrial, this year’s winner is the F404 I-level Consolidation Team Phase I and II led by CAPT C.J. Jaynes of NAVAIR Headquarters PMA-265, F/A-18 Strike Fighter Program Office. The team members come from Patuxent River, CNAF and NAVICP.

The first runner-up in this category is the Integrated In-Service Reliability Program (IISRP) Team led by Les Wetherington of NAWC-AD Patuxent River. Team members come from Cherry Point, N.C., Jacksonville, Fl., North Island, Ca. and Patuxent River.

The second runner-up is the Enterprise AIRSpeed Team led by CAPT Ken Campitelli, NAVAIR Headquarters. Team members come from Cherry Point, Jacksonville, and Patuxent River.

The winning team from the Program Management category is the EA-6B ICAP-III IPT co-led by Jeff Rusher and CDR Kurt Allred from NAVAIR Headquarters, PMA-234, EA-6B Program Office. The team members come from Jacksonville, Patuxent River, and Pt. Mugu, Ca.

The first runner-up in that category is Multi-Mission Helicopters Program Air Ambulance led by CDR Kevin Quinn from NAVAIR Headquarters, PMA-299, H-60 Helicopter Program Office. Team members come from Cherry Point and Patuxent River.

The second runner-up is the F-14 Program Management Team led by William Frayser of NAVAIR Headquarters, PMA-241, F-14 Program Office. Team members are from Jacksonville and Patuxent River.

In the Commander’s National Awards category of Quality of Service the winner is Aircrew Systems Fleet Support Team led by CDR Russell Lawry from NAVAIR Headquarters, PMA 202, Aircrew Systems Program Office. Team members are from Cherry Point, China Lake, Jacksonville, Lakehurst, North Island and Patuxent River.

The first runner-up is the Kitty Hawk Automatic Radar Periscope Detection and Discrimination Team led by CDR Henry Jackson from NAVAIR Headquarters, PMA 264, Air, ASW Systems Program Office. Team members are from Patuxent River and China Lake.

The second runner-up is the NAVAIR AIRSpeed Deployment Team and Black Belts led by RDML Walter Skinner of NAWC-WD, China Lake. Team members are from Cherry Point, China Lake, Jacksonville, Lakehurst, North Island, Orlando, Patuxent River and Pt. Mugu.

In the final category of Research, Development, Test and Evaluation and Technology the winner is the AIR-4.0P Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Division Team co-led by LCDR James R. Nash and Kristin Swift from NAWC-AD Patuxent River. Team members are from North Island and Patuxent River.

The first runner-up is the AIR-4.0P Interim Flight Clearance Division Team led by Catherine T. Buchanan of NAWC-AD Patuxent River. Team members are from Cherry Point, China Lake and Pt. Mugu.

The second runner-up is the Navy Aviation Simulation Master Plan Team led by Brian Hicks of NAWC AD Orlando. Team members are from Orlando, Patuxent River and NAS Lemoore.

The names of this year’s Commander’s National Awards winners will join those of past winners on permanent display in the atrium of the RADM William A. Moffett Building.

For more information about the NAVAIR Commander’s National Awards, contact the NAVAIR Headquarters Public Affairs Office at 301-757-1487.