The DOE Headquarters Office of Aviation Management (OAM) awarded the following aviation management awards for performance in 2014.
The NNSA, Office of Secure Transportation, Aviation Operations Division, Albuquerque, NM, has, for the second consecutive year, won the U.S. Department of Energy Jeff Snow Aviation Program Memorial Award. The Division provides safe and secure transportation of nuclear weapons components, nuclear limited-life components, and Federal-agent task forces. It is vital to the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program, and it maintains one aircraft and aircrew on 24-7 alert, ready to respond to nuclear incidents or accidents anywhere in the U.S. 
Mr. Les Winfield, the NFO Federal Aviation Manager, is the winner of the 2014 DOE Federal Aviation Management Professional Award. Mr. Winfield provided outstanding management and oversight of the NSTec Aircraft operations at Nellis AFB, NV, and Joint Base Andrews, MD. Les initiated a process to implement an aviation-focused Safety Management System program by completing Stage I Certification of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). He then prepared and submitted the NFO team for IS-BAO Stage II certification, which they achieved with a performance cited for “clear evidence of buy-in to a proactive safety environment, and an overall outstanding flight department, will all pieces in place to pursue Stage III certification.”
Mr. Charles Lightfoot, a Pilot in Command, and Aviation Site-Supervisor for the National Security Technologies LLC(NSTec), Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL), Aviation Section-Joint Base Andrews, MD, is the winner of the 2014 John Cooley Aviation Operations/Support Professional Memorial Award. Chuck consistently demonstrated superior professionalism in Operational Support to this NFO Program, and he was the catalyst and conduit for promoting professional excellence through successful team dynamics. His approach to each mission requirement started with a collaborative effort between Contractor and Federal Management oversight. This approach produced the most effective plans that considered requirements from both aviation, and scientific perspectives, that ensured mission success.
Mr. Tim Rourke, the Chief of Aviation Safety, National Security Technologies LLC (NSTec), Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL), Aviation Section-Joint Base Andrews, MD, is the winner of the 2014 U.S. DOE Aviation Safety Professional Award. Tim’s systematic approach to safety and risk management in the RSL Aviation Section at both Las Vegas and Washington, DC locations, for both ground and flight safety, provides objective assessments of the operational risks, and recommendations for the necessary mitigations to reduce them to their lowest practical level. Tim’s single largest improvement to the RSL Aviation Safety culture was through the development of a means to allow him to identify, document, and track to conclusion, any issue, short-coming, or suggested improvement to the RSL Aviation organization.
The Department of Energy nominated these winners, in their respective categories for the 2014 GSA Federal Aviation Awards, and both Mr. Winfield and Mr. Rourke won! Mr Winfield was selected the winner of the 2014 Federal Aviation Professional Award in the Managerial Official Category. This award is presented annually to the best Federal employee in a managerial position whose primary duties involve management of a non-DoD Federal flight program. Likewise, the GSA judges selected Mr. Tim Rourke the winner of the 2014 Federal Aviation Professional Award in the Safety Official Category. This award is presented annually to the best Federal or Contract employee in an aviation safety position whose primary duties support a non-DoD Federal flight program.
