PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Matthew A. Woelfersheim, a senior mechanical engineer with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command DEVCOM Armaments Center, Benét Laboratories located at the Watervliet Arsenal, was recently selected as Association of the United States Army (AUSA) First Region Department of the Army Civilian of the Year.
Woelfersheim, an Army civilian of more than 20 years and AUSA member, was nominated for the Joseph P. Cribbins Medal offered by AUSA for his selfless service to his community and country.
The Joseph P. Cribbins Medal was established in 2008 as the AUSA Department of the Army Civilian of the Year Award. Renamed in 2010 as the Joseph P. Cribbins Medal, it is presented annually to a current or recently retired Department of the Army civilian of any component in recognition of their exemplary service to the U.S. Army and focuses on volunteerism with the local community.
Woelfersheim was presented with the regional award on Oct. 11, at the First Region Breakfast during AUSA’s annual event in Washington D.C.
“I was surprised and honored to receive this award,” Woelfersheim said. “Community service and volunteerism are traits that I inherited from my father and I’m trying to pass them to my sons as well. Being able to travel to our nation’s capital to receive the award from AUSA First Region was a special privilege.”
Currently serving as the lead engineer and project officer for several large caliber technologies, Woelfersheim’s professional career has included significant design improvements for the Abrams tank armament among many other contributions.
Woelfersheim is a current and active New York State paramedic with 23 years as a volunteer for the Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad and has responded to more than 1,000 calls in his tenure. He is one of the very few 100 percent volunteer paramedics in the region, meaning his service is unpaid, and has previously served as the operations officer and a member of the Board of Directors.
“I will say, beyond being a paramedic, there is also much more on the list of what he has done, and does, for our community resulting in this recognition,” Jeanne Brooks, who nominated Matthew for the award, said of Woelfersheim. “Matt is an amazing human being, and we are honored that he works alongside all of us serving our warfighters.”
Benét Laboratories, part of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, is the U.S. Army's primary design, development, engineering and production and field support facility for large caliber armament systems, including cannons, mortars, and recoilless rifles. The facility also works on tank gun mounts and turret components and munition handling systems.
Located at the Watervliet Arsenal in upstate New York, Benét Laboratories is a part of the Weapons and Software Engineering Center (WSEC), U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, which is located at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.
Social Sharing