ARL employee receives distinguished Louis Dellamonica award

By Ms. Joyce M. Conant, ARLAugust 28, 2014

ARL employee receives distinguished Louis Dellamonica award
Lamar Garrett, from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Human Research and Engineering Directorate at the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center field element, received the honor of being selected as one of the recipients of the 2013 Louis Dellamoni... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

A civilian general engineer from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Human Research and Engineering Directorate receives the honor of being selected as one of the recipients of the 2013 Louis Dellamonica Award.

Lamar Garrett, HRED's Field Element Chief for the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center, received the honor that is presented to top Army Materiel Command personnel annually. Military and civilians, under the general officer and executive service rank, are considered from AMC's approximately 70,000 employees.

"It hasn't really registered with me ... I am somewhat shocked, and very humbled to be getting this award," said Garrett.

He joins a group of nine other AMC personnel who also were selected for the 2013 Louis Dellamonica Award within the command.

"Only those who have significantly contributed to AMC's mission and overarching goals and objectives for the year will be honored. Nominees are judged on how their initiatives measurably improve their work environment and AMC's mission, how they motivate and inspire fellow employees to improve or increase the quality of their own work, and how well they are viewed by peers, subordinates and supervisors," as stated by AMC's news release, dated July 8.

This annual award is presented in honor of Louis Dellamonica, a general engineer who worked at the Hawthorne Army Depot for 65 years--he retired in 2007 at the age of 94. His career exemplified integrity, innovation, leadership and outstanding dedication to AMC's mission. The award is granted by the Commanding General, AMC, and consists of an AMC certificate of achievement and a 4-star note.

Garrett has been a civilian with ARL for nearly 10 years; prior to this, he spent 22 years in the U.S. Army as a nuclear, biological and chemical specialist and held his last duty station at ARL. His civilian career started at ARL in HRED's Dismounted Warrior Branch and then in 2009, he volunteered to go to Iraq. After an eight-month deployment, Garrett returned and became the HRED field element chief at ECBC.

Garrett was nominated for the Louis Dellamonica award for his extraordinary technical and leadership achievements while serving as a Manpower and Personnel Integration (MANPRINT; the Army's implementation of human system integration) practitioner and field element chief by his branch chief, Alan Davison, who recently retired.

Davison said, "His technical leadership, providing human factors engineering and MANPRINT support to over 15 Army and Joint Services Programs, has ensured that materiel programs--ranging from Joint Service Aircrew Masks to the Base Expeditionary Target Surveillance System-Combined, and from radiological detection systems to screening obscuration modules--will meet critical mission needs and requirements while being maintainable and sustainable during an era of persistent conflict."

Davison continued: "Indeed, his desire to fill capability voids and ensure mission success, as well as Soldier and system survivability have driven Mr. Garrett to understand Soldier requirements and identify technological solutions, as well as design modifications required to reduce risk."

When asked what he felt upon learning Garrett was selected for this award, Davison said, "Mr. Garrett is an excellent leader and a superb mentor, and has served this nation with selfless dedication, professionalism and skill. He consistently provides support to enhance Soldiers' mission capabilities. His technical expertise and leadership are widely acknowledged, well-respected, and highly sought after by those in the acquisition and science and technology communities. I couldn't be more thrilled."

In Garrett's role as a MANPRINT practitioner supporting acquisition programs of record, he is fully funded by program managers. His day-to-day work activities focus on supporting his customers, the PMs, and meeting their programmatic demands for HFE/MANPRINT support--not on conducting basic research.

Michael McKenna, Acquisition Logistics Division Chief at ECBC, works on site with Garrett where they have worked on several projects the past four years. McKenna said that Garrett's experience with CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives) equipment, including his time in the Army makes him a good fit for ECBC.

"Mr. Garrett is a true acquisition professional, tirelessly supporting the joint-service users and maintainers to make the equipment more user-friendly and effective. He continues to educate the acquisition community and promote integration of MANPRINT into equipment design," said McKenna.

Garrett said he finds his work rewarding and gratifying.

"I received many awards during my time in the military and also while deployed in Iraq. It's an honor to be recognized, but at the end of the day, my main goal is to focus on the Warfighter. That's what it's all about," said Garrett, who said he says this as a person who wore the uniform and who also has two sons who serve on active duty.

Dr. Pamela Savage-Knepshield, chief, HRED's Human Factors Integration Division, spent time with Garrett during his deployment to Iraq and agrees with Garrett's passion to support the Soldier.

"Lamar brings the same passion, perseverance and professionalism he demonstrated while in theater to his daily work back in the states--whether he is providing human system integration support to a PM, running a research experiment or collecting data from Warfighters in the field. His focus on the Warfighter is evident in all he does and it is this focus that has facilitated the ability of PMs to bring the best possible product to the Warfighter," said Savage-Knepshield. "Lamar is truly deserving of this award, which acknowledges integrity, innovation, leadership and outstanding dedication to AMC's mission."

Garrett will be presented this award in front of his peers at an upcoming awards ceremony.

-----

The Army Research Laboratory is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to develop technology and engineering solutions for America's Soldiers.

RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. AMC is the Army's premier provider of materiel readiness--technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection and sustainment--to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, eats it or communicates with it, AMC provides it.

Related Links:

Army Technology Live

U.S. Army Research Laboratory

U.S. Army Materiel Command

Army.mil: Science and Technology News

U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command