FORT MONMOUTH, N.J. - With a thunderous voice and a diluted Massachusetts' accent, it is hard not to pick Jan Moren out of a crowd.
However, it wasn't Moren's outgoing personality and tendency to speak in shocking truths that distinguished him as one of the Army Materiel Command's 2009 Louis Dellamonica Award for Outstanding Personnel of the Year, but the commitment and leadership he has shown in providing lifesaving capabilities to the Warfighter as deputy director of the Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command's directorate for Intelligence and Information Warfare here.
The RDECOM Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center I2WD Directorate is at the forefront of enabling the Warfighter to counter enemy tactics, and Moren embodies the commitment of his organization.
"I think we've done an excellent job of explaining to people just what goes on at CERDEC and how important that work is for the Soldier," said Moren, who currently sits on the Board of Directors for both the local chapters of the Association of Old Crows and the Association of the United States Army.
"During my career, one of the most important things that has happened, and not because it happened in my organization or under my watch, is the work we do for counter-IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," said Moren. "From going from just an idea to 40,000 devices in the field in a very, very short period of time shows what you can do when you put your mind to it."
Each year, AMC honors its top 10, most influential employees, both military and civilian below the rank of General Officer or Senior Executive Service level, who meet the pre-established criteria. Additionally, selected employees must show exemplarily work through their initiatives that measurably improve their work environment and AMC's mission.
As one of two RDECOM and one of four Army Team C4ISR 2009 award recipients, Moren was honored at an AMC ceremony at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. June 25.
The award, which was presented by AMC Commanding General Gen. Ann Dunwoody, was named after Louis Dellamonica who became the Department of Defense's oldest and longest serving employee when he retired from AMC at the age of 95 and after 65 years of service.
"As of last year, I've done 43 years of service. I don't know how Mr. Dellamonica did 65 years, but that's pretty impressive to me," said Moren. "I am proud of my name being used and his name being used in the same breathe."
For more than 43 years, Moren has immersed himself in the Army starting as a Reserve Officer Training Candidate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass. Commissioned in 1966, Moren became a signal corps lieutenant spending his first assignment in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division, 123rd Signal Battalion and became the S3, or the operations officer, for the battalion.
His tours included time in Germany, Belgium and Vietnam. Confessing to seeing the gallows humor in situations, Moren said, "I think they used to save postage in those days; they would send your promotion to captain and your orders to Vietnam in the same envelope."
Moren has seen the Army transition through very different times. "We used to do everything with an acetate-covered map and a grease pencil," said Moren. "Now, everything is done off of FBCB2 (Force XXI Battle Command Brigade-and-Below) or Blue Force Tracker or eventually DCGS-A (Distributed Common Ground Sensors-Army). It's been a huge change."
Moren's tenure in the Army helped provide him with the knowledge and desire to remain committed to providing the Warfighter with life-saving technologies.
Even though Moren was once the director of another Fort Monmouth organization, he decided to accept the position of I2WD's deputy director when the directorate was first established in 1997. Moren believes he will be the only deputy director I2WD will ever have at Fort Monmouth as he anticipates the organization will hire his replacement at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
While Moren does not plan on relocating to Maryland when Fort Monmouth closes in September 2011 because of the Base Realignment and Closure, he remains committed to the Army and will ensure that the transition of I2WD from New Jersey to Maryland goes as uncomplicated as possible.
"We are losing a good people each week at I2WD because of BRAC, but we are also hiring some very capable people," said Moren. "It will be a little bit of a learning curve for the new people, but I have a good feeling about how things will work out."
Moren anticipates a relatively smooth transition of I2WD to APG; however, he has personal concerns about leaving and retiring. "I don't play golf, I don't have a garden and my boat is up on a trailer in the backyard, so I am not sure what I am going to do with myself," said Moren trying to imagine his future without Army employment.
"My dad retired and was a gardener and golfer who said to me on several occasions, 'I really don't know how I found the time to work,'" said Moren. "I'm hoping something like that will happen to me. I have two grandsons in the area, so I plan on getting a chance to do much more stuff with them."
While Moren can't predict what the future holds for him, he said his past has been filled with enjoyable work and enjoyable people.
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