Agile acquisition (July 2004): Acquisition Transformation and Leadership Awards for CY2003.

The Acquisition Transformation and Leadership Awards are newly established individual and team awards designed to recognize top performers in the leadership of defense acquisition programs. These are annual awards governed by Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-2835, Annual Acquisition Awards Program.

The inaugural winners by category are:

Agile Acquisition Transformation Leadership Award

Team -- NAVSTAR GPS Advanced User Equipment Branch Integrated Product Team, Los Angeles AFB, El Segundo, Calif. The team successfully transitioned the Frequency Domain Interference Suppressor Applique from a laboratory demonstration system to production and installation on weapon delivery platforms. The team's innovative acquisition strategy provided a quick-response solution to real-world jamming threats against the Global Positioning System, thereby allowing unimpeded navigation capability in the extremely challenging electronic warfare environments encountered during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This ensured warfighters' ability to successfully execute their missions with fewer sorties, fewer munitions, and significantly reduced collateral damage and unintentional loss of life.

Individual -- Kathy Brockholdt, deputy program manager, PEO/CM. Brockholdt expertly led a diverse team of professionals in a complex, high-visibility, $600 million acquisition to outsource the AF Pentagon Communications Agency workload. Her professional agility, adaptability, and strategic vision were instrumental in ensuring that military support of the agency's vital national security interests was seamlessly transitioned to contract performance.

Outstanding Air Force System Program Office

Reconnaissance Systems Program Office (RSPO) -- Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. The RSPO continually satisfied customer needs while delivering capability to the warfighter. Their Big Safari team supported hundreds of combat sorties and thousands of flight hours across a diverse fleet of airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance weapons systems. While Global Hawk was an integral part of the RSPO for the majority of 2003, Global Hawk's success went beyond direct warfighter support, pioneering new gains in acquisition processes by implementing multiple evolutionary acquisition initiatives, which resulted in better intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for warfighters. Meanwhile, the RSPO team continued developing new systems promising dramatic improvements in warfighter capabilities.

Outstanding Air Force System Program Directors

Military -- Col. Joseph Smyth, system program director, E-10A. The outstanding professional skills, leadership, and tireless efforts of Smyth singularly resulted in the creation of the E-10A acquisition program, which turned the Air Force chief of staff's vision into a reality. Smyth leads development of the next generation radar and battle management command and control that will provide combatant commanders cruise missile defense as well as the means to strike time-critical targets within minutes of detection. Engaging the warfighter in key design decisions. Smyth established a close relationship between the warfighter and program office ensuring delivery of an effective weapon system.

Civilian -- Thomas Robillard, director, Counterair Joint System Program Office. His active and insightful actions effectively implemented the principles of agile acquisition on the weapons systems assigned to the program office and served as successful examples to other acquisition programs. Robillard's ability to form a cohesive, collaborative team with the joint warfighters, contractor, and all other stakeholders was instrumental in designing a portfolio of programs that contained realistic, achievable requirements, that were executed at an acceptable level of risk, and that delivered meaningful capabilities when required and as promised.

Outstanding Air Force Program Manager Award

Military -- Lt. Col. Timothy Morris, PM, Next Generation AMRAAM. Morris led a team of 42 military, civilian, and support contractor personnel in the development and production of the next generation capabilities for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). He implemented numerous acquisition management initiatives designed to decrease the cycle time for fielding new capabilities. Additionally, he instituted a new risk management construct with a highly collaborative program decision-making process to ensure that program commitments are achieved and credibility is fostered with joint service warfighters.

Civilian -- Dr. John Corley, director, AMRAAM International. Corley led a team of 31 military, civilian, and support contractor personnel in administering foreign military sales of the AMRAAM. He led all aspects of the sales of the missile to 27 foreign customers, representing over $200 million in missile and support contracts. The economic order quantity advantages from this volume of foreign sales enabled the Air Force and Navy to purchase 37 percent more missiles than they would have otherwise been able to acquire. Corley led a team to find ways to upgrade existing foreign missile inventories and secured the OSD's endorsement to pursue this international effort. His actions assure coalition interoperability for the next decade.

Outstanding Air Force Program Managers

Military -- Capt. James Dobbs, PM, Tactical Automated Security System. Dobbs efficiently organized and led the source selection process for a $498 million contract designed to modernize and transform AF security system installations worldwide, resulting in a successful contract award in less than eight months. In response to urgent security requests in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dobbs oversaw the deployment of an installation team to employ the first-ever Air Force ground radar security system at Tallil Air Base, Iraq. Dobbs also managed a U.S. Air Forces, U.S. Central Command (CENTAF) contract in direct support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, equipping seven forward operating bases with the latest security technology, including improved thermal imagery and detection sensor devices.

Civilian -- Kathleen Joly, PM, Classified Programs. Joly managed Big Safari's $52 million robust special projects capability that played a pivotal role in the global war on terrorism. She also led Team Phoenix in building a partnership between two defense contractors in response to a $42 million operational Class A Mishap. She provided critical program and aircraft security during the investigation and accelerated a follow-on aircraft's modification by three months to meet all operational taskings.

Outstanding Air Force Acquisition Staff Officer

Lt. Col. Joseph McWilliams, deputy chief, Acquisition Policy Management Division. McWilliams' leadership, knowledge, and initiative were the catalysts that focused the talents and energies of the individuals, groups, and teams he nurtured. His support was crucial during the DoD's revision of the DoD 5000 series. The acting USD (AT & L) recognized his abilities and worked personally with him to conduct a line-by-line review of DoD 5000. Of equal importance to Air Force acquisition's support of the wargfighter was his development of acquisition policy training courses that were precisely tailored to headquarters, major command, and base needs. McWilliams' leadership provided the foundation as the Collaborative Process Team set the standard for all future collaborative efforts and produced the first-ever set of common terms, definitions, and graphic depictions of processes used by the acquisition, executive office, and test and evaluation communities. He inspired the design and implementation of a structured yet responsive process that makes synergy the bedrock for warfighter, tester, and developer cooperation in requirements development and capability production.