Army news service (Feb. 1, 2006): Army civilians get Presidential Rank Award.In a ceremony at the Pentagon Pentagon Huge five-sided building (1941–43) in Arlington, Va., that is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense. Designed by George Edwin Bergstrom, it was, on its completion, the world's largest office building, covering 34 acres (14 hectares) and offering Jan. 20, the secretary of the Army presented Presidential Rank Awards to 22 senior civilian employees, a number of whom provided key services following 9-11. Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey presented the awardees pins and a framed certificate signed by President Bush. "An important component of business transformation is establishing a performance culture in which a concise set of measurable performance objectives are established by all senior civilians who, in turn, are rewarded when their objectives are achieved," Harvey said. "The Presidential Rank awards are an important element of that reward system." The award winners are chosen by the president after being nominated nom·i·nate tr.v. nom·i·nat·ed, nom·i·nat·ing, nom·i·nates 1. To propose by name as a candidate, especially for election. 2. To designate or appoint to an office, responsibility, or honor. and evaluated for their leadership in producing results for professional, technical, or scientific achievement. It is considered the most prestigious recognition afforded to career professionals. Five of the recipients were awarded the distinguished Presidential Rank Award: * Kathryn A. Condon, assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, was personally involved in orchestrating emergency operations at the Pentagon following Sept. 11, 2001 and for security at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She also supported Army operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. * Terrance M. Ford, assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, was cited as a visionary 1. visionary - One who hacks vision, in the sense of an Artificial Intelligence researcher working on the problem of getting computers to "see" things using TV cameras. (There isn't any problem in sending information from a TV camera to a computer. and forceful force·ful adj. Characterized by or full of force; effective: was persuaded by the forceful speaker to register to vote; enacted forceful measures to reduce drug abuse. advocate for significant intelligence initiatives. Ford directed development of a training course on tactical questions for use by soldiers who are not involved in military intelligence. * Dr. James R Houston, director, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center The Engineer Research and Development Center or ERDC is a United States government funded military base located at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The base was set up after the 1927 flood disaster of the Mississippi River. The base is staffed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. , Vicksburg, Miss., transformed seven independent laboratories into a single award-winning center providing critical support to the global war on terrorism Terrorist acts and the threat of Terrorism have occupied the various law enforcement agencies in the U.S. government for many years. The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, as amended by the usa patriot act . Houston led the development of innovative technologies to support Army warfighters, installations, environmental quality, and water resource development. * Janet C. Menig, deputy assistant chief of staff for installation management, oversees an annual operating budget Noun 1. operating budget - a budget for current expenses as distinct from financial transactions or permanent improvements budget items, operating cost, operating expense, overhead - the expense of maintaining property (e.g. of more than $15 billion in support of all 181 Army installations worldwide. She completed 204 competitive source contract awards, and saved 656 million dollars annually. Menig also worked with conservation agencies to enhance Army operations while preserving natural habitats. * M. Lynn Schnurr, technical advisor, Information Management Directorate, was cited as a driving force in identifying and solving technology issues that directly impact intelligence capabilities and support to force protection in the Central Command theater. Schnurr helped develop a strategy to field a hand-held reporting device with substantial number of embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. technologies. Seventeen employees were awarded the Meritorious mer·i·to·ri·ous adj. Deserving reward or praise; having merit. [Middle English, from Latin merit , Executive, or Senior Professional Rank Award: * Dr. Richard W. Amos * Dr. James C. Bradas * Diane M. Devens * Dr. Bhupendra P.Doctor * Victor J. Ferlise * Ernie H. Gurany * Walter W. Hollis * Vicky L. Jefferis * Ronald G. Magee * Daniel G. Mehney * Dr. Herbert L. Meiselman * Jerry V. Proctor A person appointed to manage the affairs of another or to represent another in a judgment. In English Law, the name formerly given to practitioners in ecclesiastical and admiralty * Philip E. Sakowitz, Jr. * Dr. James J. Streilein * Kathryn T.H. Szymanski * Edward C. Thomas * Dr. Billy J. Walker Only 1 percent of career employees receive the distinguished gold pin award, and only 5 percent receive the silver meritorious award. The award comes with a lump-sum payment of 35 or 20 percent of the employee's base pay, respectively. "The challenges that they have helped the Army meet are different from those we faced before 9-11, as we moved from a time of contingency operations A military operation that is either designated by the Secretary of Defense as a contingency operation or becomes a contingency operation as a matter of law (10 United States code (USC) 101[a][13]). It is a military operation that: a. into a dangerous and difficult period of continuous operations" said Harvey. A reception honoring the recipients followed the ceremony. |
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