MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- Marine Corps and Navy acquisition leaders gathered to recognize the outstanding performance of Corps acquisition professionals and teams Aug. 2, aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico.
The first honorees received the coveted Andrew J. Higgins, Eugene M. Stoner and Donald Roebling Awards, respectively. These awards recognize superior professional excellence and innovation in pursuit of the acquisition, fielding and support of systems and equipment to the operating forces. Other individual and team awards spotlighted those who excelled in acquisition or acquisition-related functions for a myriad of Marine Corps systems and equipment.
“We are in a tough fiscal environment, but you do not let that slow you down one bit,” said the Honorable Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, and keynote speaker for the event. “It is important that we take this opportunity to lift up our heads and take a look at all the tough people we have on our side. Our Navy and Marine Corps team is the most capable fighting force in the world, and you provide them the equipment and tools they need as they go over the horizon.”
As the acquisition command of the Marine Corps, MCSC equips and sustains Marine forces with the most capable and cost-effective ground weapon and information technology systems. Marines and civilian Marines from MCSC-affiliated Program Executive Officer Land Systems and PEO Enterprise Information Systems also received awards.
“This is your command, your organization, your Marine Corps,” said Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command. “What we do is too important for us to get it wrong — we’ve got to get it right; and you do. Serving here with you is the best experience of my career.”
The recipient of the Higgins award — presented to a Marine Corps officer — was Maj. Gary Shill, for his work while serving as deputy program manager for Navy and Marine Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Program Executive Officer Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. Shill is credited with managing and fielding critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the Corps, and leading efforts to procure and field a signals intelligence payload for the RQ-21A Blackjack two years ahead of schedule.
The Stoner award — presented to a Marine Corps staff noncommissioned officer — went to Master Sgt. Jason Elson for accomplishments while serving as a project officer for Reconnaissance and Amphibious Raids in MCSC’s Infantry Weapons Systems. In 2015, Elson planned and executed testing to bring two lagging programs up to date and provide safer, more efficient equipment to the Marine reconnaissance community. He also led a program to replace a legacy parachute system with one used across the Defense Department.
The recipient of the Roebling Award—presented to a Marine Corps civilian — was Angelo Scarlato. Scarlato was recognized for his performance as acting product manager for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 Program, which he helped manage through two major acquisition milestones in 2015. The ACV program is the Marine Corps’ top ground acquisition priority.
Other award recipients received the Commander’s Annual Honorary Awards for accomplishments in 2015. The following awards recognized military and civilian personnel, individuals and teams who made significant contributions to MCSC’s mission accomplishment:
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Acquisition Support: Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Schmidt, Combat Development and Integration.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Command Support: Staff Sgt. Christopher Rosas, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, individual; Office of Public Affairs and Communication, Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Contract Management: Constance Ealy, Information Systems and Infrastructure, individual; Advanced Amphibious Assault Contract Management Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Financial Management: Marita Boit, Financial Management, and Chery Wright, Marine Intelligence, individual; Advanced Amphibious Assault Financial Management Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Marine-Air-Ground Task Force Engineering: Christopher Melkonian, Global Combat Support System-Marine Corps, individual; MCTSSA Common Aviation Command and Control System Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Logistics and Product Support: William Hoover, Armor and Fire Support Systems, and Douglas Kosky, MAGTF Command, Control and Communications, individual; Global Combat Support System-Marine Corps Full Deployment Fielding Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Operations Research and Systems Analysis: Abelardo Chaidez, Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, individual; Ground-based Air Defense, Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar Cost Analysis Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Excellence in Program Management: Kristine Lewis, Global Combat Support System-Marine Corps, individual; Aviation Command and Control and Sensor Netting Team.
Commander’s Honorary Award for Innovation: Kenneth Hess, Global Combat Support System-Marine Corps, individual; Combat Support Systems Equipment Exchange Team.
Commander’s Superior Civilian Service Award: Scott Allen, director of the Commander’s Support Group.
Commander’s Superior Civilian Service Award: Daniel Corbin, program manager for Information Systems and Infrastructure.
Lawrence P. Kreitzer Leadership Award: Dominic Foster, program manager for Armor and Fire Support Systems.
Col. Richard “Dick” Bates Award: William King Jr., Financial Management.
To learn more about Marine Corps Systems Command, go to www.marcorsyscom.marines.mil/.