By Renee Hatcher
NAWCWD Public Affairs

A chemical engineer at the Naval Air Weapons Center Weapons Division was one of 40 engineers and scientists to receive one of the Navy’s top honors during a ceremony held May 2 at the Pentagon.

Bob Tompkins, engineering lead for the Low-Collateral Damage Bomb (LCDB) Project in the Weapons and Energetics Department, received the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition) Top Navy Scientists and Engineers of the Year Award as an emerging investigator. He was honored for his pivotal role in the LCDB effort, which contributed significantly to the national defense by filling an existing deficiency in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

As the lead for this project, Tompkins was the driving force in meeting the urgent and critical need for an air-delivered, precision-guided munition that substantially lessens the damage to non-targeted structures and, more importantly, ensures that many innocent civilian lives will be saved.

The initial requirement came from the Naval Air Systems Command’s Precision Strike Program Office to only provide a technical data package. In response to this request, the team designed, qualified and produced 48 flight-cleared units in-house, within budget in just 15 months, well within the designated schedule of 24 months.

“We not only met the original requirements - we significantly exceeded them,” Tompkins said. “I am very fortunate to have been supported by an amazing team of brilliant professionals.”

The LCDB provides the warfighter with the capability of precisely striking enemy combatants in urban areas with a weapon that reduces damage and saves lives.

“When faced with this difficult challenge, the LCDB team relied on Bob’s can-do attitude, tenacity, and dedication to overcome obstacles and make things happen,” said Brad Weich, Tompkins’ supervisor. “He has proven himself to be a noteworthy project leader and his efforts have directly improved our chances of winning the Global War on Terrorism.”