HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Order of St. Michael recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of Army aviation in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient's seniors, subordinates and peers.
Rick Isaacs, who has dedicated 33 years of his career and life to Army aviation, is one of the exceptional individuals in the defense industry recently recognized and presented with this honor at a local ceremony in the Sikorsky office May 20.
Isaacs has been widely regarded in the acquisition community as the subject matter expert on integrated master scheduling and was sought after not only by Sikorsky where he spent most of his career, but also by the Army.
He was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease about a year ago and has since been a strong advocate to support others with ALS disease in the Huntsville area. Last year he organized a team that raised more than $60,000 to help find a cure for ALS.
"To say that you're appreciated is the biggest understatement that I could possibly make," said Col. Thomas Todd, project manager for Utility Helicopters within the Program Executive Office for Aviation who presented Isaacs with the Knight of the Honorable Order of St. Michael award as the outgoing senior vice president for the Army Aviation Association of America Tennessee Valley Chapter. Todd talked about the influence Isaacs has made in Army aviation, adding that "Each time we talk about a contract, we talk about things that are really your lineage, your fingerprint, and how do we do it right.
"You have nothing but the best reputation, and a sincere and proud history with the U.S. Army. You made sure all the pieces fit together."
As the maker of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, Sikorsky Aircraft leaned on Isaacs tremendously for his knowledge and expertise. "Rick came to us in manufacture and engineering with a degree in civil engineering," said Jeff Hanke, program manager for the UH-60M Black Hawk at Sikorsky Aircraft. "Anybody who has been in the factory and starts at manufacture and engineering knows that the rubber hits the road at manufacture and engineering." Isaacs was responsible for showing the company exactly how a part that the engineers had designed would fit into the aircraft.
"He has been from the ground up growing his expertise in integrated master scheduling in our company," Hanke added. "Virtually no major scheduling happened that didn't have Rick's fingerprints on it."
A native of Connecticut, Isaacs moved his family from the area after a decision was made to establish a joint Boeing-Sikorsky office in early 2000 to support the Comanche program in Huntsville. Although the Comanche program was eventually canceled, Isaacs' attention to detail and commitment to the Army customer did not go unseen.
During the Armed Aerial Scout request for information, the Army team looked to Isaacs for his expertise in building a schedule that would allow for two competitors to go to the Preliminary Design Review phase and then compete for a Low Rate Initial Production decision. Isaacs built the schedule and the Army team used it to brief higher level leadership.
Isaacs again established himself as the subject matter expert on integrated master schedules, when he built and briefed the Taiwan, Foreign Military Sales, program integrated master schedule for more than 40 aircraft. The first four aircraft were delivered within a day of the planned schedule, a feat seldom realized even on smaller programs. His long and arduous work on the integrated master schedule for the Combat Rescue Helicopter resulted in the ability for Sikorsky to move forward with building a new version of the Black Hawk for the Air Force and eventually apply some of the new additions to the Army's fleet.
"It is quite an honor to work my career with Sikorsky aircraft my 33 years," Isaacs said. Although he had some forays with the Navy and Air Force, Isaac said his heart was always with Army aviation and he dedicated 90 percent of his career to support the Army aviator and the ground Soldiers.
"It's a great thing to try to pull two people together for a common goal, and that's what I've tried to do all my career is to integrate. Integrate programs and integrate people. And in the end, you end up with a good product. I want to thank you all for being a part of that," he said.
After being presented the Knight OSM medal and certificate from Todd on behalf of AAAA, Isaacs reflected on his career and the moments that really mattered.
"This means so much to me," Isaacs said. "It really means a lot. I know this is a very special award."
In addition to having raised funds for the ALS charity in Huntsville, Isaacs is also a member of the ALS board and travels to Washington, D.C. seeking supporting for funding to help explore a cure for ALS. He has been a lifelong active volunteer in the Huntsville community, supporting other charity and nonprofit organizations.
Social Sharing