Aviation team wins 2015 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award

By Sofia BledsoeApril 24, 2015

Aviation team wins 2015 SecDef Environmental Award
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Aviation team wins 2015 SecDef Environmental Award
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Kirk Ringbloom, product manager for Aviation Ground Support Equipment within the Program Executive Office for Aviation, accepts the Fiscal 2014 Secretary of the Army Environmental Award from Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2015 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards.

The Aviation Weapon Systems Integrated product team led by the Aviation Ground Support Equipment product office, was recognized with the Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition, Small Program Award for the Halon Extinguisher Replacement Program. The team was lauded for its "design, optimization, and qualification" of an innovative and environmentally friendly replacement for mission critical safety equipment using a collaborative and interdisciplinary team.

Alivio Mangieri, PM AGSE technical branch chief, led a group of subject matter experts within the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command to spearhead a team of stakeholders. Team members included Tim Helton from AMCOM, Fred Reed from PEO Aviation, Kevin Dowell from ATEC and Doug Mather.

The main goal for this effort was to develop a replacement for the HHFE 1301 Halon because commercial industry couldn't come up with a replacement.

HHFEs are required for mission readiness. All Army rotary wing aircraft must have them installed during the pre-flight checklist to be mission capable. But more than that, it must be an effective fire suppression tool and perform as expected when needed.

Using the Halon 1301 as a guide, the IPT wanted to provide warfighters with a replacement that had the same fire-fighting capability, while not increasing size or operational difficulty and with only minimal increase to the weight. The goal was to provide a drop-in replacement for extinguishers mounted on rotary-wing aircraft while meeting other requirements, such as strict environmental parameters for aviation weapon systems.

This project required the team to balance testing, schedules, materials, test resources, and personnel to best use funding, meet management requests and keep the program on track. The team used Army test facilities, laboratories, airfields, specialized equipment and other resources to the fullest extent possible, including those made available by the U.S. Army Public Health Command, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, the Army National Guard, and Air Warrior and Army Soldier Systems Centers.

The award recognized the team and the other winners for distinguishing themselves in supporting mission readiness through environmental acumen. "Their efforts strengthen the department's position as an environmental leader by integrating cost-effective environmental management with our national defense mission, thereby saving critical resources and helping to keep our country safe through sustained mission readiness," stated Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.

In FY 2014, DoD invested approximately $4.1 billion for its environmental programs: $2.0 billion for environmental restoration activities; $1.9 billion for environmental quality activities; and $203.1 million for environmental technology. These investments protected and sustained the environment while strengthening operational capacity, reducing operational costs, and enhancing the well-being of military members, civilians, and their families and communities.

The nine winners chosen from a total of 35 nominations are:

Natural Resources Conservation, Large Installation

Environmental Quality, Industrial Installation

Environmental Quality, Overseas Installation

Sustainability, Non-Industrial Installation

Sustainability, Individual/Team

Environmental Restoration, Installation

Cultural Resources Management, Small Installation

Cultural Resources Management, Individual/Team

Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition, Small Program

Since 1962, DoD has honored individuals, teams, and installations for outstanding achievements and innovative environmental practices and partnerships. Military Services and Defense Agencies submit nominations for each of the nine award categories. A diverse panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners.

For more information on the DoD Environmental Awards Program, please visit: www.denix.osd.mil/awards.