As the United States commemorates its semiquincentennial and honors more that 250 years of military heritage, the necessity of a resilient and reliable defense industrial base has never been clearer.  

Today’s team of nine quality assurance experts have a combined 300 years of experience and represent the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Navy Special Emphasis Office here:  

• Laurella Williams, quality assurance team lead, 41 years of experience

• Larry Caldwell, quality assurance specialist, 43 years of experience

• Frank Ford, quality assurance specialist, 42 years of experience

• Garrett Lee, quality assurance specialist, 40 years of experience

• Kenneth Chang, quality assurance specialist, 34 years of experience

• James Clay, quality assurance specialist, 29 years of experience

• Kyle Burton, quality assurance specialist, 25 years of experience

• Terence Mejos, quality assurance specialist, 24 years of experience

• Thomas Kuhn, quality assurance specialist, 22 years of experience

DCMA’s NSEO maintains more than 150 work sites across 35 states and performs oversight of contractor processes and assesses and assures contractor compliance with contract quality and technical requirements. The office supports programs like the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program, the Navy’s Propulsion Program, Nuclear Plant Material Program, and Level 1, which is now known as the Navy’s Submarine Safety program or SUBSAFE.  

The DCMA NSEO Lynchburg quality assurance team marked the nation’s 250th birthday with a teambuilding visit to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, June 25. Eight of the group’s nine members are military veterans, and the ninth member, although not a veteran, has dedicated their entire career to DCMA NSEO. The memorial offered a beautiful and reverent setting that reminded the team of why they served and why they continue to serve.