NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Two 2016 Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Commander’s Awards teams illustrated the impact of Logistics and Industrial Operations’ dispersed workforce on Naval Aviation weapon systems’ acquisition and sustainment.

The Aviation Readiness and Resources Analysis Department Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Digital Thread Integrated Product Team (IPT) was one of four teams recognized in the technical innovation category, while the MQ-4C Triton Supportability Test and Evaluation (ST&E) Integrated Test Team received recognition in the business innovation category at a ceremony March 22.

NAVAIR Assistant Commander for Logistics and Industrial Operations Brig. Gen. Greg Masiello said the NAVAIR Commander’s Awards highlighted the outstanding performance of the logistics workforce and its continued value to the warfighter. “To all those who were recognized and nominated, I offer my congratulations and appreciation for a job well done,” he said.

AM and Digital Thread IPT

The AM and Digital Thread IPT team lead, Liz McMichael, said the team’s accomplishments in 3-D printing with metallic and polymer materials are helping revolutionize naval aviation maintenance.

“We were able to design, produce and flight test the first Navy AM flight-critical part on the V-22 Osprey in 20 months—much faster than we thought,” she said. “We are also working with the H-1 and H-53K programs on more AM parts. We want to make AM capability available to support all of our platforms.”

Recently, the team printed approximately 100 Optimized Top Owl visor support clips for the H-1 attack helicopter—a process that would take the supply system seven months to produce at more than $300 per clip, said McMichael.

“The Logistics Innovation Cell at Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic Detachment Patuxent River took 20 hours to print a set of 12 clips at 75 cents apiece,” Masiello said. “AM has the potential to reduce cost and increase speed to the fleet across all of our platforms.”

According to Masiello, the team is also working on combining AM with “Digital Thread,” an initiative to develop a “digital data baseline” for aircraft from inception to sunset. Digital Thread will integrate all data sources digitally and make data available to every stakeholder in the logistics chain for product life cycle management. Digital thread is key to producing mission-critical parts ashore, afloat and wherever they are needed, he said.

McMichael said the team is helping provide needed capability and technical innovation to the fleet.

“My team is a young team. They have done some really awesome things that have directly helped the warfighter,” she said. “They are going to keep doing that and are doing it at all levels, working directly with senior military leadership, junior engineers and junior Sailors. Just being able to make things happen is inspiring. I am so glad NAVAIR gives us the opportunity to do that.”

MQ-4C Triton ST&E Integrated Test Team

The MQ-4C Triton ST&E Integrated Test Team, led by Carl “Howie” Holwerda, from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Supportability Test and Evaluation Branch, received its award for evaluation of Triton’s product support package.

The team developed an innovative approach to the “Interactive Electronic Technical Manual” data module validation and verification process by embedding Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Service Command quality assurance personnel within the ST&E Team. While using near-real time updates and edited data modules, subject matter experts validated technical publications concurrently with fleet maintainers. Of the 1,500 data modules evaluated, the overall pass rate increased from a historical rate of 18 percent to 79 percent, resulting in reduced cost and cycle time.

In conjunction with its counterparts at more than five NAWCAD and Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) organizations, the team was instrumental in repurposing a strickened RQ-4A Global Hawk fuselage and engine and creating an improved approach to designing, building, evaluating and reporting on new Triton maintenance training devices. This NAWCAD and NAWCTSD partnership is expected to improve fleet readiness and potentially serve as a process improvement example by reducing procurement costs.

Billy Biggs, the NAWCAD ST&E branch manager who nominated the team for the award, said they exemplify the best characteristics of teamwork in a test environment.

“Working with their Manned and Unmanned Air Vehicle Evaluation Division, Logistics Product Data Division, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program Division and Maintenance Training Systems counterparts, the ST&E team delivers ‘full spectrum logistics’ testing for the Triton air vehicle,” he said. “Its success is now being duplicated by other acquisition category one ST&E teams as a way of doing business to meet warfighter requirements.”

Holwerda said it was important for the team members to feel comfortable expressing their ideas to meet the team’s goals and objectives and overcome emergent challenges. “Open and visible communication in all aspects of our testing was critical to maintain the schedule for this important program's success,” he said.

Roadblocks, Holwerda said, must be shared among team members and that personal high standards and a firm belief in the team’s abilities also played a role. “It's important to know what the big rocks are for each team member and be there for them to turn every challenge into a success,” he said. “Leaders must empower them to make decisions and trust them to do the right thing to move forward.”

As a dispersed workforce, Logistics and Industrial Operations’ contributions not only played a role in both team’s efforts, but also across the pool of nominations, Deputy Assistant Commander for Logistics and Industrial Operations Todd Balazs said. “If you look at all of the recognitions, there were 13 people from Logistics and Industrial Operations just on those teams,” he said. “That number increases when you factor in the nomination pool.  We are embedded across the command and program offices, making the competency a fundamental part of successes across NAVAIR.”

The NAVAIR Commander’s Awards recognize the role teams and teamwork play within NAVAIR in support of business innovation, technical innovation, improving fleet readiness and increasing speed of capability to the fleet.

For more information about the 2016 NAVAIR Commander’s Awards, see http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.NAVAIRNewsStory&id=6509