ST. LOUIS –
Defense Contract Management Agency’s Boeing St. Louis Small Diameter Bomb Program Support Team was recently awarded the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Armament Directorate’s quarterly award for the third quarter of 2018.
“This prestigious award highlighted the tremendous successes the team achieved in providing acquisition insight and oversight while always keeping the warfighter’s needs at the forefront,” said Navy Capt. Paul Filardi, the DCMA Boeing St. Louis commander. “This group represents the epitome of professionalism. Their efforts are a true example of acquisition insight excellence.”
During the award period, the SDB team identified a critical explosive safety issue that jeopardized both safety and production, said Filardi. The team used communication with the contractor and various external agencies in their pursuit of a solution.
"A huge contributor to this success came from DCMA’s very own Safety Center professionals: Al Ursery, Todd Himes, Steve Eades, James O’Kane, Kent Erekson and Ty Grant," he said. "All involved were instrumental in shepherding a long-term solution across the finish line, ensuring no interruption in delivery of the critically-needed weapon."
According to the award justification, the team was lauded for its ability to efficiently garner compliance on multiple contractor correction action requests and resolve nine complex engineering issues during a period of massive production rate increases. Those increases culminated in the largest delivery in the history of the SDB with more than 20,000 bombs delivered to the warfighter.
“I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments of the SDB St. Charles, Missouri, Weapons Team,” said Art Denkmann, the agency’s Boeing St. Louis Program Integration Team supervisor. “They are a group of high-performing individuals on the front line of the factory floor who improve warfighter lethality every day.”
Both the contractor and buying command asserted the SDB team’s vital role in aiding 10 contract awards valued at more than $282 million.
According to the contract management office, the SBD represents the next generation of low cost and low collateral-damage precision strike weapons. It offers multipurpose use for stationary targets and is equipped with deployable wings for extended standoff range. It weighs 285 pounds and is carried by the BRU-61 “smart carriage,” which holds four smart weapons per aircraft store location.
The agency’s SDB team includes: Nathalie Lopez, quality engineer; Bob Weiss, program integrator; Tina Kneip, contracts supervisor; Sam Tirey, quality assurance; Greg Leduc, quality supervisor; Chase Molitor, quality assurance; Joe Savio, quality assurance lead; Dan Shedd, quality engineer; Terry Shaw, contract administrator; Check Petersen, systems engineer; Gerry Scott, industrial specialist; Deborah Crumity, administrative contract officer; Eileen Torres, industrial engineer; and Craig Kuzara, quality assurance.