PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- The commander of the Research Development and Engineering Command was on site Oct. 3 for briefings and tours of Picatinny facilities and capabilities, as well as to recognize Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center employees for their exceptional work.
Safety award
During a ceremony, Maj. Gen. Fred D. Robinson Jr. recognized Nolda Seidenschwarz's accomplishments as the environmental and safety coordinator for ARDEC's Munitions Engineering and Technology Center.
Robinson presented Seidenschwarz with the annual RDECOM individual safety award, which recognizes outstanding accident-prevention efforts and accomplishments by Army Materiel Command employees.
Seidenschwarz's position makes her the safety coordinator of 120 explosives facilities, magazines and laboratories.
During the ceremony, Robinson thanked Seidenschwarz for her dedication to duty, which resulted in significantly improved safety for the ARDEC workforce, including an impressive 37 percent decrease in ARDEC's lost-time accident rate.
Seidenschwarz personally contributed to the safety of the workforce by inspecting each of the facilities, reviewing standard operating procedures and then working with the organizations and the Picatinny Department of Public Works to rapidly correct whatever deficiencies may have existed.
She has achieved extraordinary efficiencies for the safety program by creating and managing data bases for SOPs, lightning-protection inspections, explosives-safety training, explosive-safety site plans and hazard analyses.
Seidenschwarz was also key in reinventing the SOP review process, helping to implement a streamlined, proactive process that is geared to the operator's safety as well as those surrounding the operations. The results were SOP approvals occurring in weeks, and more understandable and clearly defined procedures for the operators to follow.
Working directly for the METC Senior Executive Service member, she also helped to restore operations of facilities that were shutdown for a wide variety of safety concerns.
"I'm very grateful for the recognition of the hard work we've been doing to increase our safety posture," Seidenschwarz said about the award. "It could not have happened without the support and cooperation I received from Mister Hedderich, the ARDEC leadership, METC supervisors, Lt. Col. Stack, the folks from DPW and Chugach, as well as the dedicated personnel in our operating and office buildings."
Since Seidenschwarz won the RDECOM safety award, her nomination was submitted for competition in the AMC level. Winners from AMC will compete in the Department of the Army competition.
Ballistic science paper
During the ceremony, Robinson also recognized an ARDEC science and engineering team for winning the Louis and Edith Zernow Award at the 24th International Symposium on Ballistics in New Orleans.
The paper was authored by ARDEC employees Dr. Ernest Baker, Wendy Balas, Dr. Chris Capellos and Jack Pincay, along with Lenard Steil of the Brooklyn Pyrotechnic University.
The paper was selected from more than 150 papers written by more than 400 authors from around the world. According to the ISB Web site, the award is given to the author of the paper with the most significant contribution to the advancement of "fundamental understanding" in the fields of ballistic science.
Service dedication
Robinson also recognized Robert Kesselman from Quality Engineering and System Assurance and Donald M. Miller of the Enterprise and System Integration Center for 50 years of dedicated service.
Kesselman has worked in nuclear and chemical lethality and safety studies for more than 35 years. He currently performs hazardous classification on various Army weapons and munitions that contain energetic materials.
As ARDEC's senior analyst, Miller conducts studies of lethal and non-lethal technologies and develops non-standard scenarios in order to gain insights into the complex interactions of combat systems.
During his career Miller participated in the design of the W48 155mm Artillery Fired Atomic Projectile, the W79 8-inch AFAP and the "Guillemot" special nuclear devices. He also led a team that reverse engineered SS-7, SS-9 and SCUD nuclear nose cones for use as targets in ballistic defense projects.
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