OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Lieutenant Denver Fall of Y-12 National Security Complex’s Protective Force has been awarded the Colonel Sydnor Memorial Award by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
This prestigious award is presented annually to a member of the Composite Adversary Team, or CAT, who exemplifies the highest standards of physical fitness, tactical skill, character, and leadership. The award is named after Colonel Elliot P. “Bud” Sydnor, a dedicated U.S. Army and DOE veteran who played a significant role in elevating DOE’s Protective Force operations.
CAT was established to provide a group of tactical operators who could role-play as terrorist adversaries and facilitate demanding performance testing of the DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s most critical protection systems. This team is an elite group of specially trained security police officers and federal agents selected from throughout the DOE. Team members must complete a rigorous screening process, including a formal interview by a panel of subject matter experts, as well as training and physical fitness evaluations. Full membership is not granted until CAT nominees complete one evolution of semi-annual CAT training and demonstrate mastery of adversary tactics during a force-on-force performance test during a safeguards and security inspection.
Best of the best
To stand out from such an elite group as deserving of this honor is certainly exceptional.
In presenting the award to Fall, John Boulden, director of the Office of National Security Assessments, said, “You have clearly been a leader since your days in the Marine Corps. Security of the nuclear complex is our number one priority, and you are a key part of that.”
“This job is not easy and we ask a lot of you,” said Mary Helen Hitson, Y-12 Field Office manager. “It is an honor to have you at Y-12. This award is a tribute to you, and your contributions and those of your peers, to national security for the work you all do to keep our nation safe.”
Gene Sievers, vice president for Production and Operations, said of the award, “It’s a big deal, and you’re a big deal. In the Navy, we talked about training like we fight. That’s what CAT does. You and your team members make us all better and more secure.”
Fall, who has also served in the military and in the Knoxville Police Department, said, “Winning this award is very special to me. Colonel Sydnor was an amazing man who dedicated so much of his life defending this country and achieved many great things. To be mentioned in the same breath as him is truly special.”
###
Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Bechtel National, Inc. is the lead member of CNS; minority members include Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, LLC; and SOC LLC. Y-12 is a key facility in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects, and delivery as promised.
For more information, visit www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
CONTACT
Kathryn King, APR
Communications
Office (865) 315.5996
Kathryn.King@y12nsc.doe.gov