FORT LEE, Va. -- U.S. Army operations research and systems analysts (ORSAs) celebrated the golden anniversary of the annual symposium that unites them here Nov. 8-9.
The U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity sponsored the 50th annual Army Operations Research Symposium, known as AORS, which was hosted at the U.S. Army Logistics University. The AORS began in 1962, and has been hosted at Fort Lee since 1974.
Theme for the 50th AORS was "The Golden Anniversary of AORS -- 50 Years of Analysis Service to the Army."
Dr. Wm. Forrest Crain, AMSAA director, warmly welcomed the Army's analysts and highlighted how the symposium provides a forum to share information and experience gained from ongoing and recently completed operations research analyses.
"The 50th AORS was a resounding success!" Crain said later. "Great papers, outstanding presentations and a record 360-plus participants, including 17 general officers and senior executive service members as well as representatives from our French and German Allies. This was definitely one of the best AORs ever."
In attendance were: E.B. Vandiver, director of the Center for Army Analysis; Michael Bauman, director of the Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center; Brian Simmons, technical director of the Army Test and Evaluation Command; David Grimm, technical advisor to the deputy undersecretary of the Army for Test & Evaluation; Dr. James Streilein, deputy director, Net Centric, Space and Missile Defense System for the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Directorate of Operational Test and Evaluation; Brig. Gen. John Regan, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Test & Evaluation Command; and John Hall, president of Army Logistics University.
Gilbert F. Decker, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research, Development and Acquisition, provided AORS keynote comments and addressed the significant work ORSAs have contributed throughout history. He also set the stage for the symposium's plenary panel discussion the next morning.
Decker was joined on the plenary panel by retired U.S. Army Gen. David Maddox and Gen. Louis Wagner and orally presented their report to the Secretary of the Army titled, "Army Strong: Equipped, Trained and Ready, Final Report of the 2010 Army Acquisition Review."
The annual Wilbur B. Payne Memorial Awards for Excellence in Analysis were presented by Maddox, who delivered a personal, anecdotal introduction of Payne. Maddox worked for Payne twice during his time of service.
The Payne awards (originally called the Army Systems Analysis Awards) were established in 1980 to acknowledge excellence in Army operations research and systems analysis. Former Secretary of the Army John O. Marsh Jr. changed the name of the award in 1990 to honor Payne, the first deputy undersecretary of the Army for operations research and one of the Army's foremost ORSA analysts and managers.
Award recipients were: (small group) - the Center for Army Analysis for its work on the Pacific Command Noncombatant Evacuation Study. Awardees: Douglas Barbour, Dallas Kuchel, Patricia Murphy and Kirill Sukhorukov.
A Payne Award was presented to the United States Military Academy and U.S. Army Accessions Command for their work on the Officers Accessions Flow Model Study. Awardees: (from USMA) Lt. Col. Paul Kucik III and Eugene Lesinski, (from AAC) Lt. Col. Gregory A. Lamm and John Pinter.
The large group award went to the U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity for work on Evaluating the Effectiveness of the CTI (target acquisition) Technologies Study. Awardees: John Burghardt, Stephen Colegrove, Kevin Guite, Eric Harclerode, Elizabeth Jones, Harry Reed, Lori Remeto, Sarah Sheroke, Kevin Sobczak, Andrew Clark, Thomas Colegrove, Christopher Lyles and Eric Skrabacz.
Each year, AORS concludes with the ORSA Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. Walter W. Hollis, former deputy undersecretary of the Army for operations research, chartered the ORSA Hall of Fame in March 2004.
The ORSA Hall of Fame honors those who have significantly impacted U.S. Army operations research and systems analysis through doctrinal or technical accomplishment and innovative development, and have demonstrated outstanding personal leadership and noteworthy achievements that inspired others in the area of operations research.
The charter of the ORSA Hall of Fame names the U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., as its permanent location.
This year, two prominent leaders in Army operations research analysis were inducted: Raymond G. Pollard III and Morgan G. Smith.
Brian Simmons, technical director, Army Test and Evaluation Command, nominated Pollard and formally inducted him into the ORSA Hall of Fame.
Pollard first served as a U.S. Army officer, including two combat tours in Vietnam. He held numerous command and staff positions, including company commander and battalion operations officer.
In his civilian service, Pollard served as chief, Infantry Warrior Branch, and a senior operations research analyst at AMSAA. He supervised up to 85 mathematicians, engineers and systems analysts responsible for evaluating systems performance for all infantry warfare systems. He was senior Army analyst for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle Live Fire program. He led the weapons performance analysis for the Army that led to the fielding of the Javelin, numerous tube-launched, optically--tracked, wire command data link programs, many infantry small arms programs, the 120mm mortar, and the AT4 antitank missile.
Pollard later served at the Army Test and Evaluation Command as director, test and assessment, technical director, and civilian deputy/chief engineer. He directed all Army developmental testing and instrumentation development, as well as installation support missions, resource allocation, capital investment, and strategic planning for the command's eight test centers.
Pollard, his wife, Peggy, son, Pat, and granddaughter, Eleanore, were on hand for the induction ceremony.
Crain nominated Smith and inducted him into the ORSA Hall of Fame.
From 1943-46, Smith served as a U.S. Naval Aviation officer in the Pacific Theater. His training included Indoctrination School at Notre Dame University, Aeronautic Engineering School at the University of Minnesota, and the Pratt & Whitney Army & Navy Engine Training School in Hartford, Conn.
From 1946-49, Smith was employed by the New Mexico School of Mines, focusing on aircraft vulnerability.
Smith began his Army civilian career as a mechanical engineer at the Ballistic Research Laboratory in 1949. He was admitted to the prestigious BRL Senior Scientific Staff following his work on the vulnerability and passive survivability features of Soviet tactical aircraft. He rose to become the branch chief of the Weapons Effectiveness Branch in 1953, the chief of the Aviation and Air Defense Branch, and the chief of BRL's Weapons Systems Laboratory in 1961. While in these positions, Smith was responsible for conducting cost-effectiveness studies of Army aircraft and air defense weapon systems, and served on several NATO scientific and technical panels. In 1962 he received the prestigious Department of the Army Research and Development Achievement Award and the Kent Award.
After the split of BRL to form AMSAA and the Army Research Laboratory, Smith became AMSAA's first Ground Warfare Division Chief. While at AMSAA, his work extended into armor, infantry, artillery, and mines. He contributed to or led many studies supporting the development and advancement of ground warfare, including early tank mobility studies, and the development of the first generation minefield and direct fire model in response to the introduction of the scatterable mine concept. He continued to serve as AMSAA's principal interface with the intelligence community and contribute to NATO panels.
Representing Smith at the induction ceremony were his son, Morgan "Greg" Smith, Jr., and his daughter, Nanci Mitchell.
Related Links:
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