By Marina Sanchez and Robin Lundberg
NAVAIR Public Affairs

Vice Adm. Joe Dyer recognized almost five hundred NAVAIR employees for their participation on six teams last week at the presentation of the second annual NAVAIR Commander's Awards.

The ceremony was held at the Naval Air Systems Command headquarters at Patuxent River, Md., but participants from all NAVAIR team sites were represented live via video teleconferencing.

"We're here to recognize six teams that have most significantly supported NAVAIR's strategic thrust," said Dyer. "The best minds, the best ideas, the best products are represented on these integrated teams."

"We are the providers and pioneers in many ways of advanced warfare technologies," he explained. "The sensors, aircraft, weapons, training, the launch and recovery and communications systems are the things we bring to the safety of this nation - and in a greater way to the security of the world at large."

The six categories for which awards were presented include "Supporting the Warfighter," "Supporting Our People," "Resources and Affordability Achievement," "Process Improvement," "Business Strategy Achievement," and "Special Achievement."

The F402 Harrier Engine Performance Based Assessment Model Team received the "Supporting the Warfighter" award for their impact on warfighter readiness, effectiveness and satisfaction. The team of nearly 100 individuals was instrumental in major process improvements including vibration monitoring methodology and storage and handling of high cost components. Cost savings for this team reached $32 million in 2001.

"A producer in England, a depot in Cherry Point, a program office in Patuxent River, the program manager today up in Washington and you can see why networking and the information technology that link it together is so very, very important," said Dyer of the Harrier team effort.

The Awards and Recognition Subgroup from the NAVAIR People Focus Group received the "Supporting Our People" award in appreciation of their innovative products based on consistent documented processes and their enhancement of NAVAIR's alignment efforts and created products available to leadership to recognize and communicate appreciation to their people.

For their management and improvement of the logistics system performance, the F/A-18E/F Integrated Readiness Support Team was awarded the "Resources and Affordability Achievement Award." Fleet benefits from this team included improved material availability through quicker response times, optimal use of transportation, total asset visibility, tools to manage the logistics system, and increased system reliability. Savings and cost avoidances could reach $129 million over five years.

The "Process Improvement Award" went to the Level of Confidence Assessment Rating Source Selection Process Team. This team streamlined the complex, lengthy and labor-intensive NAVAIR standard source selection process in seven competitive acquisitions with an aggregate value in excess of $220 million. This team's efforts successfully streamlined each proposal as much as 75 percent.

The H-1 Integrated Maintenance Concept Team earned the "Business Strategy Achievement Award." This large team of nearly 400 people was recognized for implementing an innovative approach to maintenance by employing the structure of reliability centered analysis called the Integrated Maintenance Concept Approach. Using this approach and efficient depot processing, the H-1 program reduced aircraft time in depot maintenance by 40 percent.

The final award, the "Special Achievement Award," went to the C-130 Bleed Air Duct/Overheat Detection System Modification IPT for the development of a solution for the Navy and Marine Corps C/KC-130 aircraft safety hazard caused by damaged bleed air ducts and an inadequate detection system. The successfully completed an intensive analysis and identified ducts for replacement and designed the overheat detection system.

According to Dyer, these teams epitomize the acrostic Together Everyone Accomplishes More - for TEAM.

"These teams represent interrelationships that transcend the functional and geographic partitions of our organization," he said. "These are just the right folks at just the right time, doing just the right things for our customers."

For more information about the NAVAIR Commander's Awards, contact your site public affairs office. At Patuxent River, the award ceremony will be rerun on Visions Channel 12 twice daily from July 1 - 12 at 9:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m.