PEO Ammo employee recognized with DoD's first product support management award

By Ms. Audra Calloway (AMC)October 15, 2013

PEO_Ammunition
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. (Oct. 15, 2013) -- A Program Executive Office Ammunition employee was recently awarded a 2013 Secretary of Defense Product Support Management Award.

Brian Sharkey was selected as the Major Weapon System (ACAT II and Below) Product Support Manager of the Year in honor of his leadership as the Product Support Manager for Lightweight Mortars.

This is the first year this award has been presented.

"This highly prestigious award recognizes the PSM (Product Support Manager) as an important partner in providing the very best systems for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines," said Frank Kendall, the Under Secretary of Defense, in an Aug. 15 memo announcing the Product Support Management winners.

Through the PSM Awards, DoD recognizes product support manger contributions to controlling cost growth, addressing long-term affordability, and promoting industry competition and innovation, as well as outstanding achievements in the development, implementation, and/or execution of affordable and effective weapon system product support strategies.

Sharkey and his team helped reduce the fielding process time for the M224A1 Lightweight Mortar System by 20 months and increased system availability 20 percent by streamlining maintenance tasks.

His actions also resulted in a $207,000 cost savings for sustainment of the M224 legacy mortar system and a 25 percent increase in availability.

Additionally, he led an integrated process team that developed a more efficient software fielding process for theM95/M96 Mortar Fire Control System-Mounted, which became the template for all future mortar software releases.

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