Oak Ridge, TN –The Y-12 National Security Complex recently held a ceremony in honor of the most recent Defense Programs Awards of Excellence, recognizing five exceptional teams for their significant contributions to national security. The awards, presented by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Defense Programs, celebrate achievements in enhancing quality, productivity, and cost savings in support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program.
Josh Gerken, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) vice president of Program Integration, welcomed attendees and underscored the importance of the work being honored. "Your commitment and impactful work set the standard for us all. It ensures the safety and security of our nuclear deterrent –– in turn, safeguarding our families, our community, and our nation," said Gerken. He also emphasized his eagerness for the annual event, calling the award recipients "unsung heroes who help maintain peace and stability."
CNS Chief Operating Officer Todd Ailes echoed these sentiments, congratulating the winners and highlighting the significance of receiving the award. "Your names are now proudly added to a prestigious list of outstanding individuals –– a legacy that began with the inception of this award in 1982," Ailes said.
Ingenuity and effort improve production
Susan Morris, deputy manager of the NNSA Y-12 Field Office, extended her appreciation, noting, "These awards are a testament to the work you do, and I want to thank you for that.” She also stressed the urgency of continuing to strive for excellence, saying “We need to produce more, we need to produce better, and we need to produce faster.”
Also emphasizing how the award recipients helped demonstrate the kind of urgency expected of the site, NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs David Beck said, “We are entering a different nuclear era, and our work will have an effect on that. Your work is deterring our adversaries in a very real way.”
Tyler McClary, senior director of Stockpile Programs, led the presentation of the awards, pointing to collective pride in the teams' accomplishments. "Each of you should take immense pride in knowing that you not only delivered on our mission but also made significant improvements, ensuring the Department of Defense can reliably depend on a safe, secure, and robust nuclear deterrent."
The award-winning projects are described below.
- The B61-13 Modernization Program was recognized for their exceptional effort compressing the timeline for the B61-13 while simultaneously delivering on the B61-12 Life Extension Program. The team's seamless internal and external collaboration was crucial to progressing through the product realization process at an unprecedented pace, with work commencing in April 2024.
- The B83 Dismantlement team persevered through significant challenges, including critical equipment failures and repair difficulties, to successfully complete all deliverables. The team ingeniously developed a second processing line and used strategic overtime to meet their Fiscal Year 2024 goals.
- The W87-1 Component Failures and Recovery team promptly identified and addressed the root cause of component failures during the assembly preparation process for W87-1 test hardware in May 2024. Their swift actions minimized impacts on other critical weapons programs and flight test units, ensuring W87-1 test hardware production remained on schedule.
- The Tooling Production Process Improvement team tackled the long-standing complexity of tooling estimation, measurement, forecasting, and tracking at Y-12 that existed due to data limitations. By consolidating historical and current tooling data into a single, accessible database, they achieved an impressive 82% increase in tooling production and a 15% reduction in associated work hours.
- The Analytical Chemistry Organization implemented an industry-available “fast-inject” auto sampler. This technology reduces the time required for impurity analysis by more than 50% by rapidly introducing a liquid sample into the instrument for measurement while simultaneously performing a rapid rinse of tubing for the next sample.
