Depot Brings In “Parts-On-Demand” Sioux Business

e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
October 15, 2010
October 15, 2010
Congressman and AMC Commanding General Meet at Depot
By Ed Mickley, CCAD Public Affairs
Corpus Christi Army Depot, TX
(Sept. 9, 2010) – Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz and Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, Commanding General, Army
Materiel Command met here Sept. 9, to
discuss the depot’s impact on the local
community and the support for Warfighters.
The general, along with Col. Christopher B. Carlile, CCAD Commander,
and Jim Dwyer, AMC Director of Support Operations, updated the congressman on issues that included programs,
employment, production, community
support and AMC’s role in empowering the depot.
One potential program is the OH58C model to “D” model conversion.
Used extensively in Afghanistan, the
OH-58 Kiowa Warriors are in short
supply due to their supposed phase-out
and replacement by the Armed Reconnaisance Helicopter, a program that has
since been shut down.
The Army wants Kiowa Warriors as
an integral piece of the Combat Avia-
Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz is updated by Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, Commanding General, Army Materiel Command during a meeting hosted at Corpus Christi Army Depot, Sept. 9, 2010. Photo by Ed Mickley.
tion Brigade for several more years and
instituted a pilot program to recapitalize the helicopters. “Recap” is part of
the Army’s effort to reduce platform
sustainment costs and contain the expense of replacing aging helicopters.
CCAD’s maintenance,
repair, and overhaul artisans generate assets for
Army Aviation that are
equal to or better than a
new one and presently repair OH-58 Kiowa Warrior crash or battle damaged airframes, returning
them to the fight.
This program could
employ additional workers adding to the depot’s
Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, Commanding General, Army Materiel Command lis- $2.175 billion economic
tens intently as Industrial Engineer Ron Brychta describes the operation of the
Avure Fluid Cell Press recently installed at Corpus Christi Army Depot. With impact already felt in the
the new press, airframe structures that previously took twelve hours to create community.
are now manufactured in minutes. Photo by Kiana Allen.
1
After the meeting, the general and
her team toured the depot visiting with
artisans along the way. At one of the
depot’s latest time-saving investments,
the Avure Fluid Cell press, Dunwoody
and Dwyer were presented with “Honorary Depot Artisan” certificates after
See AMC, pg. 4
What’s Inside:
• Congressman, AMC CG meet
• Summit Focus is on Depot’s Future
• Depot Brings in Sioux Business
• CCAD Return OH-58 to the Fight
• You’re Making A Difference - MG Myles
• Tail Rotor Shop Hits 100 Blades
• Army College Graduates One of Ours
• Cost of Quality Priceless
• Teamwork, Respect and Courtesy
• USS Hooah! CCAD’s Entry for Regatta
• Around the Depot
• Quality Awards
• CCAD FACEBOOK page
• OCI News
• AND much more....
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Aviation Summit Focus is on Depot’s Future
By Ed Mickley, CCAD Public Affairs
Corpus Christi, TX—More than 700
attendees ventured into the American
Bank Center here for the past two days
gathering insight on the new direction
Corpus Christi Army Depot is taking
in reducing cost, increasing production
and focusing on Warfighter needs.
Industry and military leaders across
the Army aviation enterprise participated in panel and breakout discussions
centering on present day aviation maintenance and future combat aviation brigade readiness during the 8th Annual
Luther G. Jones Aviation Summit, Oct
12-14.
Keynote speaker, Lt. Gen. James
Pillsbury, Deputy Commanding General, Army Materiel Command, remarked
how important CCAD was to the fight;
the “depot workforce understands how
much their work affects the soldier.
Their work saves lives.”
He said aviation’s mission is critical to our success in Afghanistan and
CCAD efforts support the mission today and well into the future.
“Col. Carlile [Col. Christopher Carlile, CCAD Commander] understands
the business and is leading this depot in
the right direction,” he said.
Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz, 27th District, welcomes the audience. He remarked that the depot provides a valuable service to the servicemen and women
overseas, and thanked the employees for their dedication to the effort. Photo by Ervey Martinez.
This year’s theme, Depot 2015: Full
Spectrum Support to the Joint Fight,
captured Corpus Christi Army Depot’s
forward thinking—a strategic vision
to drive down cost through a costconscious culture in preparation for the
future while providing world-class sup-
Keynote speaker, Lt. General James H. Pillsbury, Deputy Commanding General, Army Materiel Command, addresses the audience at the 8th Annual Luther G. Jones Aviation Summit held at the American Bank Center in
Corpus Christi, Oct. 13. He said aviation’s mission is critical to our success in Afghanistan and CCAD efforts
support the mission today and well into the future. Photo by Ervey Martinez.
port to the Warfighter.
improvements, and achievements with
“It’s about the team effort to im- Warfighters, program managers, origiprove the entire aviation enterprise so nal equipment manufacturers and conwe can provide world-class support to tractors.
our Warfighters, not only for today, but
Local business people attended
down the road,” said Carlile. “We can break-out sessions about depot busiproduce more at a lower cost to keep ness and contracting with a Dept. of
aviation readiness high while saving Defense along with workshops on how
money for the taxpayers.”
to engage with CCAD.
“We’re looking at each program to
U.S Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz,
improve efficiency and quality of each 27th District of Texas, in his welcome
line, and will eliminate processes that said, “This depot does so much for
don’t offer a solid return on invest- the servicemen and women over there
ment,” he said. “Our immediate goal who are in the fight and also does so
is to do everything
much for this lopossible to make
cal community.
CCAD a world
Thank you for
class, high tech,
all you do.”
modern
facility
This is the
with the best worksecond
year
ers in the world.”
AAAA
has
In its eighth
sponsored the
year and the secsummit. Their
More than 700 attendees ventured into the American Bank Center
ond sponsored by gathering insight on the new direction Corpus Christi Army De- theme,
“One
pot
is
taking
in
reducing
cost,
increasing
production
and
focusing
the Army Aviation
Team,
One
Assn. of America, on Warfighter needs. Photo by Ervey Martinez.
Fight, One Futhe summit evolved from a local dis- ture” was the focus of this full-schedcussion on engine issues into an avia- ule, three-day event. Find more infortion enterprise-wide event. Depot ar- mation about next year’s Summit or
tisans engaged in discussions about AAAA at www.quad-a.org.
cutting-edge production technologies,
2
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Depot Brings In “Parts-On-Demand” Sioux Business
By Ed Mickley, CCAD Public Affairs
Corpus Christi, TX – Corpus Christi
Army Depot solidified a growing business relationship with Rock Industries
Corporation (RIC), through a congressionally-funded program known as
Parts-On-Demand for Continental U.S.
Operations (PODCO). RIC is located on
Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, Ft.
Yates, ND, and is a tribally-owned 8(a)
Hub Zone small business.
Gary Richmer, Chief of the Tool
Engineering Division at CCAD, heard
about the program through the efforts
of Jeffry Adams, Intuitive, Huntsville,
Ala., (a contractor to Army’s Research
and Development Command). Mr. Adams contacted Richmer and a meeting
was held at CCAD to describe the program. That was in November 2007.
PODCO, sponsored in 2007 by
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), is in
response to the ongoing equipment demand of the US Army due to the Iraq
and Afghanistan conflicts.
Dorgan is a senior member of the
Senate’s Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the new ROCK INDUSTRIES Machining Facility located on the Standing Rock
Reservation in North Dakota. Senator Byron Dorgan (D, ND) and Charlie Murphy (Chief of the Sioux Nation) shared the
honor of cutting the ribbon. (l-r) Bill Condon; Robert Rusnak; Charles Murphy, Tribal Chief; Gary Richmer, Ray Wesley,
Senator Byron Dorgan, N.D.; Nacy Trask; Danny Schall; Chris Amos; Melissa Murphy; Robert Rafferty.
project creates well-paying jobs on the
reservation and provides quality partson-demand service to military units
based in the U.S.”
RIC, a division of Standing
Rock Development Corp, established and operates a precision
manufacturing facility to provide parts-on-demand for Army
CONUS operations. Support is
also provided to National Guard
and Reserve units throughout
the country.
Richmer continued discussions with Nancy Trask, Program Manager, Alion Science
Brandon Walker cutting backer foam for tool shadow boxes.
and
Technology, contracted by
PODCO Contributed Photo.
the DoD to run the program, and
“When I learned what Alion S&T was Allen Banjai, Mr. Adams’ replacement.
accomplishing with their Mobile Parts
The program opened the door for
Hospitals providing parts-on-demand to CCAD and RIC to fill needs for both
our Warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, entities. Richmer proposed that as part
I thought it would be a good idea to set of RIC’s equipment purchases, they proup a similar facility on one of our In- cure a laser cutter/engraver and computdian Reservations,” said Dorgan. “With er so RIC employees could train on the
a smart allocation of Federal funds, this state-of-the-art equipment while filling a
3
much-needed task for the depot—laser
cutting foam inserts to shadowbox toolboxes. The equipment was purchased
and received at RIC in April 2008.
According to a news release on
Standing Rock’s website, “The 3,572
sq. mile reservation straddles the North
and South Dakota border and is home to
more than 8,800 members of the Lakota
and Dakota Nations (commonly known
as the Sioux). It is a region rich with
American history, having been home to
the great Sioux Chief Sitting Bull. But,
See PODCO, pg. 4
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
AMC continued
PODCO continued
participating in the operation of the
press.
The press, one of several in the
northern hemisphere, reduces turnaround time (and cost) for sheet metal
and structural component manufacturing. What once took 12 to 14 hours of
forming and annealing amid several attempts, now takes eight minutes to produce a high quality product.
The group visited the UH-60 and
like many reservations today, the Reservation struggles with poverty and suffers from lack of economic opportunity
and good quality jobs.”
“Within eleven months, RIC perfected
their trade using the laser,” said Richmer.
“They provided shadowboxed drawers
for approximately seventy roll-away toolboxes at the depot; shadow boxed drawers for the Welders, Electricians, General
Mechanics, Fuel Control Technicians,
Machinists and Toolmakers.”
They also began cutting foam for kitting of aircraft parts, he said.
With the growth and success of their
initial product line, RIC looked toward
ways to expand business. In discussion
with Richmer, they saw potential in
the machining industry and began procuring machining and manufacturing
equipment.
Over a two year period, RIC has outgrown the small store that housed their
original laser cutter and built a 10,000
sq. ft. state-of-the-art manufacturing
facility with Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) Machining Centers. Clients in addition to CCAD include the
North Dakota Army National Guard, the
South Dakota Air National Guard and
other Army depots in Texas, Illinois,
Pennsylvania and Alabama.
“Having been with the program from
the very beginning, when RIC was
housed in an empty shell of a grocery
store and laundromat, RIC has developed into a competitive, small machining and fabrication company, ready
Col. Christopher Carlile, Commander, CCAD describes the new Dynamic Component Rebuild Facility
that is under construction to Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody,
CG, AMC and CSM Jeffrey Mellinger during a tour of
the depot. Photo by Kiana Allen (RELEASED)
OH-58 production lines, the T55 and
T700 engine areas and finished at the
depot’s Ergonomic Center, a place
where employees can find apparatus
that allow them to engage their craft in
a safer environment.
Departing, Dunwoody said, “This
place is full of patriots. You can see
that they are dedicated to the Warfighters. They work hard, produce a great
product and it shows.”
October 15, 2010
Tyson Alike turning repair sleeves for Humvee.
PODCO Contributed Photo
to showcase their capabilities to all of
DoD,” said Trask.
RIC’s employment roster is at 18, up
from 7 at the end of their first year, and
is projected to employ 30 to 50 welders,
metalworkers and machine operators
within the next two to three years. All
employees are registered members of
the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
The product lines presently supported by CCAD include Helicopter Dummy Landing Gear Boxes, laser-cut tool
chest shadowbox inserts and part cart
liners, heat treat racks, masking fixtures
and work platforms.
Richmer, along with Alion’s Trask
and AMRDEC’s Banjai look forward to
potential new lines of business and opportunity with Standing Rock.
Safety Flash - Traffic Safety for CCAD Work Force
This morning during daylight hours,
one of our own CCAD family members
was almost hit by a vehicle while jogging on the side of the road along Ocean
Drive. Although not hit directly, the pedestrian did sustain minor injuries after
jumping out of the way.
All personnel driving on Naval Air
Station, Corpus Christi (NASCC) have a
responsibility to be observant of pedestrians walking, jogging or riding bicycles.
When approaching a pedestrian or bicy-
clist on the road, allow ample berth and
be ready to slow down or stop. Drivers
must drive defensively and anticipate
pedestrians crossing the roads at crosswalks; slow down to increase response
time and allow more time to react.
Pedestrians must use crosswalks,
wearing reflective or light-colored clothing during hours of darkness to give
maximum visibility to alert drivers of
their presence. Walk defensively and do
not expect to be given the right of way.
4
Each day is an opportunity for calamity due to the amount of traffic entering
and exiting NASCC. The hours of 0500
– 0730 hours and 1400-1630 hours are
the highest traffic times and the greatest
periods of risk. Extra caution should be
taken by drivers and pedestrians during
those timeframes.
Final safety message is walk or drive
defensively, have a situational awareness
by being observant, and be courteous to
pedestrians and drivers alike.
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
CCAD Returns First OH-58 Armed Scout Helicopter to the Fight
By Ed Mickley, CCAD PAO
Corpus Christi, TX
- Corpus Christi Army
Depot sent its first OH58D Kiowa Warrior
back to the fight during
a roll-out ceremony held
in the depot’s Hangar
44, Oct. 14, 2010. The unprecedented
OH-58D crash battle damage repair is
the first step to increasing the number
of Kiowa Warriors at a time when costeffective measures are critical to support the war effort.
The repair program began November 2008 when CCAD, together with
the Armed Scout Helicopter Program
Office, Aviation and Missile Command,
Aviation and Missile Research Development & Engineering Center and Bell
Helicopter, inducted a crash damaged
OH-58D aircraft to be repaired.
“When it comes to a soldier on the
ground looking to someone in the sky,
they can count on the KW,” said Col
Christopher Carlile, CCAD Commander. “Recently, a KW spent seven hours
in close combat support of an engineer
unit hit with a complex IED ambush. It
covered continually, even to the point
of having to use an M-4 Carbine after
running out of rockets and other ammunition.”
The Kiowa Warrior is a single-engine, two-seat reconnaissance and di-
The first OH-58D Kiowa Warrior sent back to the fight by Corpus Christi Army Depot is rolled-out during a
ceremony in the depot’s Hangar 44, Oct. 14, 2010. The unprecedented OH-58D crash battle damage repair is
the first step to increasing the number of Kiowa Warriors at a time when cost-effective measures are critical to
support the war effort. Photo by Ervey Martinez
rect-fire support aircraft that has logged
more than 600,000 combat hours between Iraq and Afghanistan, where it
battles sand, snow and high altitudes.
“That type of support is what Army
aviation is about,” Carlile added.
“That’s the dedication our branch has to
our ground soldiers and the joint fight.”
Used extensively in Afghanistan,
the OH-58 Kiowa Warriors are in short
The Team of CCAD artisans gather around their
first crash battle damaged OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
repaired and ready to return to the fight.
5
supply due to their supposed phase-out
and replacement by the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, a program that has
since been shut down.
The Army, with 330 of 368 helicopters on-hand and losing approximately 5
per year since 2001, wants Kiowa Warriors as an integral piece of the Combat
Aviation Brigade for several more years
and instituted a Sustainment Mainte-
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AirCraftsman
OH-58 continued
nance Program. The SMP is part
of the Army’s effort to reduce
platform sustainment costs and
contain the expense of replacing
aging helicopters.
“This aircraft that the CCAD
team put together is a testament
to this workforce’s dedication and
patriotism, how they support the
Warfighter,” said Carlile. “This
team knows our contribution to
the fight is not based on our proximity
to the battlefield.”
The program’s resurgence also means
that parts are in short supply. Working
with Aircraft Production technicians
and engineers, the depot’s Local Manufacturing Division ramped up quickly,
initially machining two matched cabin
roof beams needed to provide structural integrity for the cabin fuselage and
transmission.
“CCAD helped us find and fabricate
very hard to find parts that will actually
help out the rest of the fleet,” said Lt.
Col. Scott Rauer, Kiowa Warrior Program Manager.
Capt. Anne McClain of the 1/14 Tomahawks of
Ft. Rucker, Ala. accepts the log books to the
new OH-58D Kiowa Warrior from Jim Kaylor, Corpus Christi Army Depot’s Director of
Aircraft Production. Photo by Ervey Martinez
Local Manufacturing operates
mills, lathes, and Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machines fabricating parts for other
helicopter programs and now includes the KW. The shop recently installed a fluid cell press—a
device that can create structural
components in minutes rather
than hours.
“They can manufacture those hardto-find parts here, at the depot, or they
can find other people who can do it for
October 15, 2010
us,” Rauer added.
CCAD’s team of maintenance,
repair, and overhaul artisans work
in concert to generate an asset for
Army Aviation that is equal to or
better than a new one. The CCAD
team presently repairs OH-58
Kiowa Warrior, UH-60 Black
Hawk, AH-64D Apache, and CH47 Chinooks crash or battle damaged airframes, returning them to
the fight.
Col. Christopher Carlile, CCAD Commander, presents a certificate to Capt. Anne McClain, 1/14 Tomahawks; Philip Dana, Dept. of Army Pilot; and Lt. Col.
Scott Rauer OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Program Manager, honoring the first Kiowa Warrior sent back to
the fight from the CCAD. Photo by Ervey Martinez
“You’re Making the Difference for Our Soldiers”-MG Myles
By Ed Mickley, CCAD Public Affairs
Photos by Kiana Allen
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Aug. 25,
2010) – Major Gen. James R. Myles,
Commanding General, Army Aviation
and Missile Command, made it a point
to visit Corpus Christi Army Depot two
weeks prior to his retiring from the army
after 36 years.
“If I could take one metric, it would be
to locate CCAD ten miles outside of Bagram, Afghanistan,” Myles said. “That’s
how important Corpus Christi Army
Depot is to our soldiers in the fight.”
“You’re not world class,” he said.
You’re the world standard. That’s
how good CCAD is, without this depot the fight would be very tough.”
Myles began the tour presenting
keys to a new delivery cart to Charles
Pagano, a 28-year veteran of CCAD
whose old delivery cart had seen
much better days. Members of the
Army Contracting Command developed
the idea and when they found
out about the general’s visit,
thought it a nice gesture for the
command and the “Chuckster”
as Pagano is known.
Led by William Braddy and
Kresten Cook, Deputies to the
Commander for Maintenance
and Support Ops, respectively,
6
the general began a fast-paced walking
tour of the depot’s hangars and main
building stopping to visit with as many
artisans as time would allow.
What normally would take several
hours, occurred in three.
A lunch break in the middle of the
tour had Myles meet the latest graduates from the UPLIFT and LIFT classes
along with the youngest and oldest depot employees.
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Tail Rotor Blade Shop Produces 100 Blades, Looking For More
By Brigitte Rox, CCAD Publicist
Corpus Christi Army Depot achieved a
milestone April by producing 100 UH-60
tail rotor blades and has been rolling them
out ever since.
Approximately 40 employees have been
working long hours to repair and overhaul
100 rotor blades within a 30-day timeline.
Since April, the blade shop has grown
accustomed to producing the large order of
blades. “The Tail Rotor Shop has produced
100 blades 5 out of the last 6 months,” said
Rod Benson, Chief of Rotor Head and
Landing Gear.
“The repairable assets we receive are
coming from all over the world, including
Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Amando Vidal,
the First Shift Branch Chief. “The Warfighter in combat theater has priority to this
equipment.”
With so many troops overseas, work is
increasing in the blade shop. In 2009, the
shop was producing 70 blades per month.
By January there were 85. Then there were
90. By April, the shop was asked to do 100.
“That’s a lot of blades, especially for a
small shop like this,” said Jesse Sosa, the
Second Shift Branch Chief.
“We’re hurting for blades out in the field
so we’ve got to get them to the guys out
there.”
Due to its troop capacity and cargo lift
Blades in-process at the Blade Shop - the shop hit one-hundred and are looking to produce more as new bonding fixtures are implemented to cut down on preparation time. Here, Blade Mechanics Mike Benavides (r) work
on fairings for Black Hawk tail rotors, while Sonia Cordoun (l) adds her skill to the mix. Photo by Ed Mickley
States for thirty years and has logged approximately 2.4 million flight hours since
2003.
As the Center for Industrial and Technical Expertise, CCAD is the Department
of Defense’s choice for tail rotor blade repair. The depot’s capacity to repair blades
puts them in position to be one of the best
places to repair the blades.
It took two shifts, over 40 employees,
and mandatory overtime to achieve the 30day deadline in April.
Overhauling blades is a lengthy
and involved process. “It can take
up to two days per blade, depending
on the damage,” said David Sandoval, the Team Leader in the Bonding
Room.
Each blade arrives to the shop in
worn and damaged condition. After
disassembly, the blade returns to the
blade shop for repair in one of their
environmentally controlled bonding
rooms.
Thomas Franco and Frank”the Tank” Guerra examine UH-60
Then the blade is routed through
Blades inbound to the shop. Photo by Ed Mickley
a post-assembly process for an x-ray
capacity, the UH-60 Black Hawk is critical inspection, paint, balance and final inspecto the war effort, providing a range of ver- tion.
satile support to the Warfighter including
By the time the blade leaves the shop, it
air assault, medical evacuations, general is ready for flight.
support, combat and stability. The utility
Blade shop inspector, Daniel R. Flores
helicopter has been flying for the United has his hands full with the order of rotor
7
blades. His job isn’t complete until he verifies that each blade is up to the Army’s standards.
One hundred blades has been a challenge
for the small shop. The space is maxed out
at 6000 square feet, housing up to 200 11foot tail rotor blades at any given time.
“We’re looking forward to a much
Brothers, Ian and Adam Flores, are preparing UH-60
blades for curing in the autoclave. Photo by Ed Mickley
needed expansion,” Rod Benson. There are
some hurdles, he said, but we feel positive
that we can continue to improve productivity and efficiency.
A state-of-the-art rotor blade facility addition is presently in the works that
would double capacity. “Along with total
blade shop productivity, CCAD continues
to grow in a positive direction to meet the
Warfighter’s demands.”
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Army War College graduates 350 distance education students
Retired Maj. Gen. Bruce Scott, president, ITT Defense International, addresses graduating students
why,” Scott told graduates. “Inspire
CARLISLE BARRACKS, Pa.
people with it, make a commitment
– An officer from the Netherlands
so when you do end your service to
is one of the 350 graduates from
this great nation you can reflect and
the Army War College’s two-year
say, ‘I did what I could.’”
Internet-based distance education
Retired from the U.S. Army in
program Friday, July 23 on the his2002, Scott is a 1972 graduate of
toric parade ground’s Wheelock
the U.S. Military Academy and has
Bandstand.
served in a variety of assignments
Col. Hans Folmer, of the Royal
in infantry and armored divisions in
Netherlands Army and who has
the United States and in Germany.
most recently served as chief of the
He served as a White
European Union Operations CenHouse Fellow and his assigntre and Watchkeeping Capability in
ments included special assistant
Brussels, Belgium, called the proto the Secretary of Transportation,
gram “tough.”
“It was tough to do alongside all
Kresten Cook, CCAD’s Deputy to the Commander for Mainte- Elizabeth Dole; executive assistant/
my regular duties,” he said with a nance Operations, receives his diploma after graduating with aide to Colin Powell and executive
officer, vice chairman, Joint Chiefs
smile. “But it was worth it because a Master Degree in Strategic Studies.
strategic
communication
for
senior
of Staff.
it is a good program and I really
leadership,
I
felt
that
I
should
have
a
The 350 graduates include nine
liked the content. It was a good opportunity for me to learn the United States’ firm understanding of how things work Pennsylvania officers, among the 302
at the strategic level.”
Army; two Air Force, eight Marine
perspective.”
Students
were
addressed
by
new
Corps; and nine Navy Reserve, most of
Mike Howard, chief of public affairs
for operations at the US Army Space Commandant of the US Army War Col- which are from the Reserve or National
Guard. Twenty-five civilians are joined
and Missile and Defense Command/ lege, Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin.
“You
should
feel
inspired
to
take
by four International Fellows representArmy Forces Strategic Command in
this
education
forth
and
go
serve
in
ing Taiwan, Netherlands and Mexico.
Colorado Springs, enjoyed the program
The U.S. Army War College, edufor its lessons, online discussions and bigger, better and new ways during the
rest
of
your
career
and
the
rest
of
your
cating
senior leaders since 1901 – in
deep insights into the strategic level,
life,”
said
Martin.
He
also
reminded
Carlisle since 1951 – was established
which he was able to apply while workthe class how important they are to “not to promote war, but to preserve
ing in a strategic atmosphere.
“Initially I thought of the non-res- the nation and to the military service. peace.” The Army’s most prestigious
ident course as something less than “The nation needs you. We need you institution for the study of strategic
the resident course, and even though I with your education, leading up, lead- land power, prepares senior officers
didn’t want to have to displace my fam- ing latterly, using the new thinking and of the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force,
ily, I saw it as a kind of second cut,” the new education and all the stuff you Navy and Coast Guard to serve in the
have learned and put it into effect for highest command and staff positions in
said the retired sergeant major.
the Armed Forces of the United States.
Howard laughed and shook his our national security.”
Retired
Maj.
Gen.
Bruce
K.
Scott,
head.
“But having gone through it, there president of ITT Defense International,
is absolutely no way that is true. This and vice president and chief internaIf you’re interested in furwas a tremendous thing to do and hav- tional development officer at ITT Defense,
will
give
the
keynote
address.
ing already earned a master’s degree
thering your education, please
“Today you have to understand the
and having gone through the sergeant’s
contact the Skills and Develomajor academy, I wasn’t in pursuit of cultural, economic and political asment Office to discuss the varia promotion coming here; I wanted to pects almost as much as the military
ous options available to Fedunderstand the strategic level,” he said. capabilities of the forces you are faceral employees.
“This program has given me a scope ing. And you have to understand how
Contact: 961-4391
of understanding of the military’s stra- those four things interact with each
tegic problems. Having worked with other, and then you can understand the
8
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Cost of Quality Program a Priceless Concept
By Brigitte Rox, CCAD Publicist
Perhaps it was fate that turned a production director into Director for Quality
Assurance but, whatever the reason; it is
resulting in a transformation in how the
Corpus Christi Army Depot does business.
After only eight months serving as
the Director of Quality Assurance, Larry
Simone gave a presentation on a concept
known as Cost of Quality at an AMC
Quality Federation Conference, November 2009.
It started as a request for topics of concern, said Simone. “I was a new director
and [wanted] to see topics on the Cost of
Quality. Next thing I know, I see an agenda and one of the speakers for the Cost of
Quality was me!”
The unexpected speaking engagement
ended up being a “one hour success,”
providing Simone with the framework of
a great new program for the depot.
“I introduced myself as a former production director who is learning about the
great science of quality and only wished,
as a production director, that I would have
worked closer to the quality organizations because they could have advanced
my production.”
Cost of Quality is a “forgotten and underutilized tool,” said George Epperson,
Management Analyst for the Directorate
of Quality Assurance.
Generally, managers run the risk of
focusing on the bottom line, only getting
personally involved with quality issues
during a major crisis.
“Cost of Quality has
been asleep in this industry,” Simone asserts. The
focus has always been on
production.
Recently
interest
in Cost of Quality has
grown.
Army Regulation 70211 identifies an Army
quality program as an
integral component of
Department of the Army.
All Army components
are responsible for implementing a quality program giving due consideration to
costs of quality and to provide evidence
of compliance.
Cost of Quality is coming, Simone
said. “It’s going to explode. We can fight
it and lose or we can embrace it and
win.”
There are hidden costs in poor quality, but there are also opportunities. Larry
Simone believes there is a gold mine of
opportunity in every defect.
“Defects are buried in the ground,” Simone said. “You take defects out of the
ground like gold. We can make money by
doing something with it—eliminating the
defects.”
Now Quality Assurance hosts Faulty
Friday, a weekly meeting in production
divisions that focuses on potential “golden nuggets.”
“Defects exist,” Simone admitted,
“but you don’t have to continue to let it
fester.”
Barbara Christian-Fleming, a management analyst for the Directorate of Quality Assurance, says that this is the first
step to get directors away from focusing
solely on production. “Let’s look at your
defects.”
Other depots are already doing it. Letterkenny Army Depot is tracking cost to
defects and Red River Army Depot briefs
defects weekly to the commander.
As of right now, CCAD is only beginning. “We are in the collecting phase,”
said Simone. They have spent the past
year collecting data, defining defects, and
9
showing Cost of Quality.
When examining lost production, a
significant percentage of maintenance
costs occur due to two types of failure
costs: external and internal.
“Ultimately, errors costs money,” Simone said.
Internal failures include rework, repairs, downtime, delays, and shortages
while external failure costs occur after the
items are received by the customer and
include customer complaints, returned
material, re-doing services and replacement parts.
Other costs are necessary and beneficial, including appraisal and prevention
costs.
There are a number of “mining tools”
that can help give CCAD a successful
quality program.
Solutions like a technical training program, refined production procedures, and
good habits could reduce costs.
Quality Assurance already has Skills
and Development and the Office of Continuous Improvement on their team working on solutions.
Various programs also put CCAD in
a great position to adopt the quality program.
An element of ISO 9001and AS9110
requires data analysis, corrections and
process improvement.
CCAD uses the Process Analysis Data
Collection System to collect data which is
then analyzed and presented to top managers as opportunities for improvement.
“This is where we can start to associate dollars and man-hours to rework time
which is categorized as the Cost of Quality, or as most quality types refer to as the
Cost of Poor Quality,” said Frank Morgan,
Chief of Quality Assurance Division.
Larry Simone believes that the Cost of
Quality is unavoidable for the future of
the depot. “It’s a monster. It’s big, but I
believe that CCAD can and should dedicate itself to a 50% reduction of defects
over the next five years.”
In time we’ll see just how much gold
is lying hidden within the Corpus Christi
Army Depot.
AirCraftsman
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
October 15, 2010
Free Pedometers Equals Healthy Lifestyle!
Blue Cross/Blue Shield has initiated a program that they
call “WalkingWorks”. WalkingWorks helps incorporate
physical activity into your busy schedule by giving you the
tools to measure and record how far you walk each day.
Keeping track of how far you walk every day is fun, easy,
and it works. According to the Journal of the American
Medical Association (JAMA), use of a pedometer is associated with a significant increase in physical activity and a sig-
nificant decrease in body mass index and blood pressure and
now Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering FREE pedometers to
Federal Employee Program (FEP) members.
Join your fellow FEP members and participate in WalkingWorks today. Go to http://www.fepblue.org/healthwellness/walkingworks/ for more information about healthier
living and to order your FREE pedometer.
The Aircraftsman
NOTE: REPLACE Worn or Broken Inspec-
The Aircraftsman is an authorized unofficial monthly publication for
members of the Dept. of defense. Contents are not necessarily the
official views of or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Dept. of Defense, or the Dept. of the Army. The editor reserves the right to edit
all information submitted for publication. News may be submitted to:
tion, Special Process or Mechanic Stamps
Worn or broken inspection, special process and
mechanic stamps need to be replaced to ensure the quality of
our historic records. Clearly readable technical documentation and records are the critical final step in CCAD’s processes.
Public Affairs Office
308 Crecy Street, Mail Stop 19
Corpus Christi, Texas 78419
or via email to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
If your stamp is not leaving a clear impression or is broken,
your cost center supervisor needs to either e-mail or call the
following people for a stamp replacement. In most cases,
new stamps can be issued the same day.
CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT
Commander: Col. Christopher Carlile
Public Affairs Officer: Ed Mickley
Publicist: Brigitte Rox
Protocol Officer: Sharon Haynes
Phone: (361) 961-3627
Fax: (361) 961-3039
Quality Control Inspector Stamps –
Maria Dimick, 961-5630
Special Process or Mechanic Stamps -
Our Products Reflect Our Pride
Essayist Captures the Heart of CCAD
By Brigitte Rox, CCAD Publicist
When it comes to pride in your work,
few resort to written prose as a medium
of expression but that’s exactly how
one depot employee chose to share his
thoughts on service with the Corpus
Christi Army Depot.
An anonymous CCAD employee
wrote The Soldier Sons of Texas, a short
essay detailing the history, sacrifice and
honor of Texans in their service of their
state and country.
“I feel so strongly about our mission
and our products that I wanted to comment on how pride in the military and
in CCAD runs up the chain from the
bottom as well as top-down,” he said.
Since the new depot commander,
who took charge of CCAD in June
2010, is from Alabama and is not a
native Texan, the employee wrote the
essay partially to “share a bit of Texas
with him.”
“I wrote to give him that tiny touch
of Texas history and my view of the
feelings and purpose of those Texas
veterans and Texas warrior families
who work here in the depot.”
COL Carlile appreciated the insight.
“It is truly heart-felt,” he said of the essay.
The author also wrote the piece as
a response to some positive feedback
COL Carlile sent the workforce in recent weeks upon receiving kudos from
two military generals, including GEN
Anne Dunwoody.
For those new to CCAD, many do
not expect to be greeted by a proud
workforce dedicated to providing the
very best to the Warfighter.
A level of patriotism is expected
from those who work to return helicopters to Warfighters, but CCAD employees tend to take it to another level.
“When I came to the depot in 2001, I
was immediately struck by the dedication of the artisans to their craft,” the
author said.
Many of those working at the helicopter repair facility are veterans. Still
10
more have family in the armed forces.
A Texan and a veteran himself, the
author believes a sense of dedication to
work and country is inherent at CCAD.
Texans are “patriotic to the bone” and
“filled with deep emotional pride.”
“I suspect that Texas has the largest number of military bases, the largest number of serving warriors and the
largest number of living veterans of
any state,” he theorized.
A brief walk through one of CCAD’s
parking lots will produce bumper stickers reflecting the number of proud soldiers and America’s working veterans.
“We daily walk among heroes and
I never forget how honored I am to
know them and to be with them here
[at CCAD].”
This humbled writer is no stranger to
creative writing. Outside of the “thousands of technical reports” he’s written
over the past fifty years, he is presently
working on a science-fiction novel.
Poem on next pg.
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
The Soldier Sons of Texas
Anonymous
The sacred blood of Texas soldiers has been spilled in righteous combat around the world. Texas families and their children
have willingly stepped forward to take up arms whenever our national interests have been threatened. Texas is filled with
veterans of all of the uniformed services and most Texas families continue the proud frontier tradition of defense of the Republic. It is not a matter of responding to a national need alone. Texans see the defense of the Republic as a core duty of life.
Texans are invested in blood and overwhelming prayer in the life of the Republic because it is our life.
Growing up in Texas I well remember visiting many of the various court house squares across the state and seeing the monuments erected there. Monuments dedicated to the honored dead of past wars and conflicts. To this day the monuments are
kept clean and the names on the plaques are visible reminders of the long history of Texas soldiers. Each plaque is likely a
reflection of the current telephone directory for that county. Sometimes the names are lost. Texas farmers and ranchers sent
their sons and daughters to serve even when they knew that the family farm or ranch would be lost in time if the young people did not return. Too often ancient homesteads fell into disrepair and finally into eternal probate because the young people
gave their lives to the Republic but could not save their parent’s dreams. Dreams not withstanding they hastened to duty.
Names like Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Burma, Chateau-Thierry, Monte Casino, Salerno, Bastion, and Phnom Penh with countless other names are household words across the state. Each is guaranteed to bring a story or a recollection of an uncle or a
son or daughter lost in some far place.
Texans are a special people: patriotic to the bone; honor bound to the Republic; filled with deep emotional pride in our beautiful “Old Glory”, counting each star as if it were a jewel in our own crown. Texans don’t flinch in the face of evil. Texans
don’t cower in the dark. Texans get up before dawn and do the work required of them without ever thinking that someone
else should do it. Texans kneel down and pray for God’s forgiveness while asking for His blessings for their families. Then
they give thanks for God’s defense of the Republic and the amazing bounty that they enjoy.
In the Rio Grande valley town of San Juan there is a National Basilica, The Basilica of The Virgin of San Juan Del Valle. In
the altar area there are large museum style poster books filled with the photographs of serving Texas Children. Every day
mothers and grandmothers can be seen moving down the long aisles on their knees toward the altar holding pictures of their
serving children up before God. Thousands of candles are lit in the beautiful altar area to celebrate the prayers of the families
for the safe return of their loved ones after the victory is achieved. A palpable faith and presence of the Holy Spirit and the
weight of a million prayers can be felt immediately on entering that sacred place of Texas prayer.
It is not unlike the chapel at The Alamo in San Antonio. A sacred place in the hearts of Texans where the refusal to accept
tyranny was first expressed as a Texas trait. Texas had been nothing more than a distant section of Mexico until Santa Anna
declared himself to be the Military Dictator of Mexico and declared the Mexican Constitution of 1824 to be null and void.
Texas as a whole stood up and in effect said “Not while there is life in Texas.” Many of those first Texans perished there.
Most were proud Mexican citizens until the moment Mexico abandoned the principals of freedom and required the same of
them. It must be in the air or in the water because Texas was born at that moment and the Republic of Texas rose up victorious in response. Later Texas accepted a treaty of statehood from the United States of America and the loyalty transferred. So
did the iron willed determination that there would be no tyranny in Texas. As a part of the United States Texans still to this
day hold to the “no tyranny on my watch” ethic.
When I came to the depot in 2001 I was immediately struck by the dedication of the artisans to their craft. They are consumed with the idea that CCAD helicopters should be the absolute best because their sons and daughters will very likely have
to ride them into combat or will depend on their support in training and in theater. We do it for love of the Republic and for
our commitment to our children. Many of us are veterans and we have more hours than we like to remember riding around
in these noisy vibrating impossibly complex machines. They absolutely must be the best. They are our Texas soldiers just
like our beloved-God-given children.
11
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
USS Hooah Voyage, One of Courage, Endurance, and Nerve
The ill-fated voyage of the USS Hooah
is one of courage, endurance, and nerves.
Captain Nichole Garcia, First Mate Phil
Duress, and deck hand Polly Gustafson
had faith in the design and building talents of their fellow environmentalists and
family members.
A week before the regatta, Duress
gave up his garage to build the Hooah.
Friends and family lent a hand to build
the pontoon boat. On the day of the regatta the finishing touches took place on
the seawall.
Ropes were tied, lines were run, and
the sail was rigged. The nervous crew
climbed aboard and waited to be towed to
the starting line. Waiting for them at the
starting line was the support team. They
waited and waited. The race was scheduled for 1600, the horn blew at 1700.
When First Mate Duress cast off, the
Hooah was rammed by a Navy vessel
supporting a 50 caliber machine gun on
the bow. “This is war!” shouted Gustafson.
“Which rope do I pull?” yelled Captain Garcia.
“Hang on! We’re heading in the
wrong direction, but we’ll bring the ship
around,” replied Duress.
Correcting their direction, the Hooah
began picking up speed, moving into the
fray of boats constructed from curious
materials such as air mattresses, Styrofoam blocks, wood, tires, and lots of water barrels and plastic drums.
The crew looked hopefully at each
other and smiled knowing that, with
teamwork and nerves, they had a chance
to not only place but win the race. Then,
the crew heard an ominous sound of
screws ripping out of particle board. The
mast fittings gave way.
Duress caught the mast and wrestled
it back into place while Gustafson pulled
from her side of the boat. “We can do
this,” she cried. Manually, Duress and
Gustafson guided the sail while Garcia pulled on the ropes to bring the sail
around when appropriate. Unfortunately
no one could see from behind the sail.
Mooring lines started to come into
view off of the bow of the Hooah. It was
the yachts. “We have no control over
this boat and we have no insurance”
Gustafson informed the yachters. They
laughed at our dilemma as they consumed
copious amounts of alcohol. “Leave your
little vessel and join us in our libations,”
they offered. The intrepid crew declined
the tempting offer and asked for help.
The Hooah would finish the race even in
its crippled state. Every person on every
yacht took a picture of the little Hooah as
it was untangled and sent on its way.
Perhaps the crew should have reconsidered the offers because in less than
five minutes, the mast gave way again.
Duress was thrown into the water, the
mast whipped back and started down,
knocking Gustafson into the brown
murky waters of Corpus Christi Bay.
Captain Garcia managed to keep her seat
only to be trapped. Her ankle was under
the fallen mast.
After ensuring that Duress was afloat
and upright, the deck hand swam back to
the boat to release her captain from the
mast. Gustafson told Garcia, “Get ready
to pull your foot out from under the mast.
From the water I can only lift the mast
a couple of inches.” Once Garcia was
released, Duress and Gustafson started
swimming for shore, towing the boat and
12
looking for help from the MWR rescue
boats.
The rescue boats zipped back and
forth, belching their diesel fumes while
revving motors, never spotting the crippled crew and boat. The yachters were
outraged and began waving down the
rescue boats but to no avail.
The crew abandoned ship to make
their way closer to shore in order to
send the MWR rescue boat back for the
captain and the Hooah. Fortunately, the
yachters took pity, launched a zodiac and
went to Garcia’s aid. Gustafson and Duress continued their swim to shore, fighting the waves and jelly fish.
After many anxious minutes and belated advice from the Hooah supporters,
the crew was rejoined with their captain.
The Hooah may have been torn to pieces, but their story will connect the small
crew for a lifetime.
FACEBOOK: Go to: http://www.
facebook.com/pages/CorpusChristi-TX/Corpus-Christi-ArmyDepot//127503813936902
TWITTER: follow “CCADPAO”
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
TEAMWORK, RESPECT AND COMMON COURTESY
conversations, and discussions (etc). Let the person have the
floor until they are done. Do not wait to “jump” into the discussion at the speaker’s slightest hesitation. Regardless of
your particular reasoning, i.e. the person is incorrect, you have
a better way, you can say it better and faster ...... whatever
your reasoning might be, hear the speaker out fully, and upon
completion, provide your constructive input;
2) If there is a meeting/discussion/conversation going on
and you are not a part of that particular discussion, do not walk
up and interrupt the discussion to get an answer for something
that is not pertaining to the discussion in place. If you see that
it is going to be a lengthy discussion, come back later. This
includes walking up to that lengthy discussion and waiting for
everyone to stop and ask you what you need; don’t do this;
3) If you must interrupt, ensure it is a true emergency. We
issue tools; keep reality in check, having a question does not
constitute an emergency. If you have a customer waiting, and
the person you need to speak to is in a discussion, most likely, you can resolve that question through other resources or
means, use them;
4) Do not call someone out of a meeting so you can talk
to them separately. If you do, you have interrupted the entire
meeting;
5) Motivate with positivity vs. negativity. Discuss how we
can improve the process, and do not focus on what an individual is doing wrong;
6) Be a team player. Work towards the common good of
Tool Room production. Save man hours. Share your knowledge. Say please. Say thank you. Take individual initiative.
Take pride in your work. Take pride in your co-workers accomplishments;
7) Utilize ALL the resources around you. We have 272
years of government experience between us. We have 99
years of contractor experience between us. That is 371 years
of experience sitting all around you. Utilize that experience
to its fullest. Do not under-utilize your resources. Everyone
wants, and needs, to feel like they are an important part of the
team.
We have made a lot of noteworthy achievements within the
Tool Room, Special Tools, and Creform Shop in the past year.
Yet, we insist on focusing our energy on the negative aspects
during most conversations. Negativity decreases production
and morale. We have a lot to be proud of, stand up and be
proud. Stop the negativity. Stop the personal agendas. Look
at yourself in the mirror, and ask yourself, “am I the best team
player I can be”?
I know I can do better, and I am going to do better. Our
NTA employees will do better also.
Very Respectfully,
Troy L. Barker
Program Manager
National Technologies Associates (NTA) (CCAD)
For the past several years, Mr. Barker’s contract employees have teamed with Ray Mitchell’s civilian employees, in
the Main Tool Room, and the result of this merger has been
unbeatable.
The team together has pushed to automate the management
By Gary L Richmer (Chief, Tool Engineering Support Division)
Shortly after arriving at the Corpus Christi Army Depot,
the 23rd Depot Commander, COL Christopher B. Carlile,
introduced himself and his moral philosophy to the CCAD
workforce in the following message:
From: COL Christopher B. Carlile
To: CCAD WORKFORCE
Subject: Important Message from Depot Commander, COL
Christopher B. Carlile (UNCLASSIFIED)
Team,
I am humbled to lead such a great organization. I want
each of you to understand your importance to our mission of
supporting our Warfighters. No one should be treated with
less than the respect that one would give any teammate. It is
true we all have different responsibilities, but each responsibility is required to “push steel” out the door. Respect for each
other, from the commander to helper, is a core value required
to achieve our mission. Respect is a two-way channel, where
supervisors and team members respect each other. Maltreatment and disrespect within our Team will not be tolerated, as
it erodes the cohesion that makes us great.
I urge each of you to reflect your embodiment of respect
and go the extra distance to show it to subordinates, peers, and
senior leaders. I can assure you that you can expect it from
me.
Above the Best!
Christopher B. Carlile
COL, AV Commanding
This message went out not only to CCAD civilians, but
also to CCAD contractors as well. And it didn’t take long for
this infectious attitude to catch on. Several days after reading COL Carlile’s message, Mr. Troy Barker, supervisor over
the contract workforce in the Main Tool Room reiterated the
Commander’s expressed philosophy on teamwork and respect
by issuing a similar message to his twenty-three contract employees. The following is Mr Barker’s message:
From: Barker, Troy L
To: Main Tool Room Contract Employees
Subject: TEAM WORK AND COMMON COURTESY
NTA Employees,
This is addressed to NTA Contractor employees only. Tool
Room CCAD personnel are “CC” as I want them to understand what I am promoting with NTA contractor personnel. If
NTA employees fail to adhere to the following, please share
the particular transgression with your CCAD supervisor.
We are going to continue to move forward on accountability, productivity, and streamlined processes. Most importantly
of all is TEAM WORK and RESPECT, and per the CCAD
Commander’s e-mail dated 8/9/2010, we will get better at
TEAM WORK and RESPECT by observing and adhering to
the statements made above, in addition to your own set of personal standards and moral character.
First, I am as guilty of the following as anyone in here, and
I am going to do better starting this morning. In an effort to
promote unity and mutual courtesy, adhere to the following:
1) Do not interrupt the current speaker during meetings,
13
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
Teamwork continued
reports available in the Automated Tool Inventory Control &
Tracking System (ATICTS) Tool Room Software and, as a
result of this initiative several new reports are now being generated:
•
Re-order Review Report - Lists on-hand quantities
of all stock material with automatic re-order capability when
minimum levels are reached; this allows timely management
of stock deficiencies.
•
Customer Backorder Report - Automatically identifies and segregates new reservations that go directly to the
Re-Order Review Report and require immediate attention.
These reports have significantly increased the efficiency of
providing hand and power tools to Main Tool Room customers.
During the past year’s ISO audit, the Main Tool Room was
October 15, 2010
deemed a “Four-Star Tool Room” and the auditor rated the
Tool Room as a “benchmark” of industry tool rooms. This
is something that has NEVER been achieved by ANY organization at the depot. Also, for the past three years, annual
inventories of all assets in the Main Tool Room have been
accurate to within 0.1% (that’s one-tenth of a percent). As a
result of these inventories, auditor notes stated the following,
“This is unheard of in a Tool Room for a facility the size of
this depot.”
It is very obvious that COL Carlile, Mr. Barker, and Ray
Mitchell (Chief, Tool Room Branch) are all reading from the
same page, the page that explains that your organization is
only as good as the employees that work there.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS ... If you want the best, treat
your employees with respect and courtesy and the result will
be unbeatable.
Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery Fact Sheet
The Texas Veterans Land Board requested that bids for constructing the cemetery be submitted by April 2010. In May,
the VLB conditionally accepted the bid
from Barcom Commercial, Inc. of Corpus
Christi. Construction is expected to start
immediately with project completion in
18 months. The Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery is expected to open in the
spring of 2012.
Construction will be completed in several phases: Phase I will cost about $8.5
million, including design, construction
and equipment costs. It will include 1,700
standard casketed burial sites, 1,000 double-depth lawn crypts, 1,028 in-ground
sites for cremated remains and 1,080
columbarium niches on approximately
54 acres. That should provide sufficient
gravesites for about 10 years, after which
the cemetery will be expanded to add ad- be covered by Phase I.
ditional gravesites. Future phases will cost
The site has an ultimate capacity for up
less, because most infrastructure costs will to 31,500 interments. Among its features
will be a committal shelter, a visitors center, a computer system for
locating specific graves or interments, an attractive gateway entrance, a 60-foot flagpole, a paved
assembly area for special ceremonies, an avenue of flags, several
memorial walkways where future
monuments will be placed, a memorial wall to honor those whose
remains are not recovered or are
buried elsewhere, and a columbar14
ium for interment of cremated remains.
The 54-acre site was donated by Flint
Hills Resources and submitted by Nueces
County to the Veterans Land Board.
The future cemetery site is just off
Interstate Highway 37, at Carbon Plant
Road, in Corpus Christi.
Gifts and grants of cash, benches, or
organizational monuments can be accepted for Texas State Veterans Cemeteries.
Please call Jack Slayton, Director of the
Texas State Veterans Cemetery Program
at (512) 463-5977 if you would like to
make a donation to a Texas State Veterans
Cemetery.
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
QUAD-A Offers
Programs, Scholarships
Hispanic Heritage Month 2010
In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage
Week, which was observed during the week that included
Sept. 15 and Sept. 16.
The observance was expanded in 1988 by Congress to a
month long celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), effective the
following year. America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and
the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South
America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the
starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries:
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. Here are
some facts pertaining to Hispanics.
The estimated Hispanic population of the United
States as of July 1, 2009 was 48.4 million, making people
of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 16 percent of the nation’s total
population. In addition, there are approximately 4 million
residents of Puerto Rico, a Caribbean U.S. territory. There
were 1.4 million Hispanics added to the population in 2009.
There was a 3.1 percent increase in the Hispanic population
between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009, making Hispanics
the fastest-growing minority group.
The projected Hispanic population of the United States
on July 1, 2050 is 132.8 million. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30 percent of the nation’s
population by that date.
The ranking of the size of the U.S. Hispanic population
worldwide was second, as of 2009. Only Mexico (111 million) had a larger Hispanic population than the U.S.
The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the U.S.
who were of Mexican background in 2008 was 66 percent,
another 9 percent were of Puerto Rican background, with
3.4 percent Cuban, 3.4 percent Salvadoran and 2.8 percent Dominican. The remainder was of some other Central
American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin. Also about 44 percent of the nation’s Dominicans lived
in New York City in 2008 and about half of the nation’s
Cubans in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
The number of Hispanics or Latinos 18 years and older
who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces is 1.1 million.
It has come to my attention that many CCAD employees and contractors are not aware of the local Chapter
of Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) here
at Corpus Christi Army Depot. Therefore I decided to
share some exciting details with all the readers. The local
AAAA Chapter has been in existence since 1964 and currently has 204 Members.
AAAA Membership Benefits:
AAAA Scholarship Foundation has two levels, a local and national which awards scholarships annually to
members of AAAA and their spouses, unmarried siblings,
unmarried children, and unmarried grandchildren of current and deceased members. Some scholarships are specifically reserved for enlisted, warrant officer, company
grade, and Department of the Army Civilians.
This year your local chapter was able to award six scholarships to our CCAD family, one recipient was a CCAD
employee and the remaining five were family members
of a chapter member. All these recipients are eligible to
apply for the AAAA national scholarship awards as well.
The member’s effective date of the AAAA membership must be on or before May 1 of the previous year
in which the applicant is seeking aid unless the member
is deceased. The applicant must be attending an accredited college or university or selected for Fall entry as an
undergraduate or graduate. Applicants who will attend a
Service Academy are ineligible for a grant or loan. No
recipient can hold concurrent AAAA Scholarships.
The AAAA Awards Program recognizes outstanding
achievements in Army Aviation in many ways. For example; Donald F. Luce Depot Maintenance Artisan, Army
Aviation Materiel Readiness Awards for Contributions by
Industry, H. McClellan Aviation Safety Award, Joseph
P. Cribbins Department of the Army Civilian of the Year
Award and the Order of St. Michael which recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of Army Aviation.
If you are interested in joining your local Chapter
please contact Mrs. San Juanita Cantu (VP of Membership) or Melinda De La Fuente (VP of Activities) for an
application.
New member special: Join for 2 years for the price of 1
For additional information about AAAA please visit
http://www.quad-a.org/
FACEBOOK: Go to: http://www.facebook.com/
pages/Corpus-Christi-TX/Corpus-Christi-Army-Depot//127503813936902
Combined Federal Campaign Goal:
$1,000,000,000
Just $5 per week will help the depot get there!
Sign up today.
TWITTER: follow “CCADPAO”
15
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Commander’s Award for Quality Performance
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Felix Salazar for exceptional performance as a Welder. His expertise,
attention to detail, pleasant and cooperative demeanor and immaculate record keeping have made him a valuable asset to the Industrial Processing
Division of the Directorate of Manufacturing/Process Production. He is a conscientious professional whose workmanship is beyond reproach.
This is evidenced in the large volume of parts, such as sleeve bearings and honeycomb seal assemblies, produced in the Electron Beam Welding
Machine area. From 1 Jan to 30 Jun 2010, he registered 1551 inspections with a 100% first pass yield rate. His operator skills have enabled him to
nurse the aging Electron Beam Welding Machine through increasing mechanical and electrical difficulties in such a manner that interruptions in the
production line seldom occur. Because of his knowledge of the machine, he was instrumental in providing machine requirements to Engineering
Services personnel so that specifications could be written for the procurement of a replacement. Mr. Salazar has distinguished himself with exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless pursuit of excellence and dedication to
ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a true quality performer and reflects credit on not
only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Jimmy McCombs for exceptional performance as an Aircraft Mechanic Parts
Repairer. His expertise and attention to detail has made him a valuable asset to the Rotor Head Landing Gear Division within the Directorate of Components Production. These qualities were recently evident as AMCOM conducted a Product Verification Audit (PVA) on a Main Rotor Swashplate.
During the preparation of the PVA, he was instrumental in identifying several process improvements to ensure the integrity of the product and during
the PVA he completed a complete disassembly and re-assembly of the product. The AMCOM PVA Chairman noted only minor findings and one
observation, which involved process improvements and no discrepancies which involved the quality of his workmanship. The quality assurance first
pass yield rate for his product line showed a 99.78% (453 out of 454 inspections passed the first time). During FY09 his product line met the quota of
100 AH-64 Main Rotor Swashplates, and for FY10 he is on track with 79 completed as of 30 June 2010. Mr. McCombs has distinguished himself with
exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless pursuit of excellence and dedication
to ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a true quality performer and reflects credit on not
only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
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October 15, 2010
Commander’s Award for Quality Performance
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Robert McComb for exceptional performance as an Electronics
Integrated Systems Mechanic. His expertise and broad knowledge base of aircraft electronics systems has made him a valuable asset to
the Aircraft Flight Support Branch of the Directorate of Aircraft Production. He is a dedicated professional who thrives on new challenges
made possible with his ability to blend a myriad of traits such as technical skills, leadership abilities, management resourcefulness, work
ethics, teamwork centered mentality and administration proficiencies into a well rounded personal quality. He continuously works hand-inhand with other facets of Aircraft Production, Production Control and Quality Assurance to decrease the turnaround time of aircraft production in not only trouble shooting electronics problems, but in the procurement and receipt of parts, mentoring others and completing final
inspections. An example of his collective skills was evident when he took it upon himself to build a set of electronic test boxes as a method
to decrease troubleshooting time and to have the ability to test multiple aircraft simultaneously. Mr. McComb has distinguished himself
with exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless pursuit of excellence
and dedication to ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a true quality performer
and reflects credit on not only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Pete Martinez for exceptional performance as a Machinist. His
proficiency and capability to master new technologies has made him a valuable asset to the Metal Processing Division within the Directorate
of Manufacturing/Process Production. These qualities were recently evident during a visit by the AH-64 Program Manager and a team of
engineers from Redstone Arsenal to conduct a high profile accident investigation. Having just certified on a brand new Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) with an advanced software package, he was approached by the investigation team to perform a series of very critical
measurements of various failed assets. Without hesitation; he listened intently, took notes, read blue prints, confirmed the target dimensions,
programmed the equipment and acquired the critical information requested. Pete had engaged the group with a courteous and professional
demeanor, took control of the situation and demonstrated his proficiency to the degree that might be expected of any of CCAD’s senior artisans or subject matter experts. He has since prototyped and developed several complex programs using the new equipment to measure the
dimensional integrity of curvic couplings for both the mast base and the main transmission cover. Mr. Martinez has distinguished himself
with exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless pursuit of excellence
and dedication to ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a true quality performer
and reflects credit on not only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
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October 15, 2010
Commander’s Award for Quality Performance
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Christopher Silvas for exceptional performance as a Non-destructive Tester. His expertise and attitude have made him a valuable asset to the Metal Processing Division, within the Directorate of Manufacturing/ Process Production. Noteworthy accomplishments have included the development of technique sheets for the OH-58 cyclic actuator
and refining the technique sheets to support Boeing and Nadcap requirements for the CH-47 rotor blade overhaul commercial services
agreement. Recently he took the initiative to develop technique sheets supporting the CCAD pilot of the TH-1H transmission for RDEC to
satisfy USAF requirements and providing techniques for the OH-58 tail rotor gearbox. From the period of 01 Sep 09 to 01 Sep 10, his first
pass yield rate is 100%. He is currently certified in 3 inspection methods and is pursuing certifications for 3 more methods. Mr. Silvas has
distinguished himself with exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless
pursuit of excellence and dedication to ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a
true quality performer and reflects credit on not only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Robert Kunicki for exceptional performance as an Aircraft Mechanic
Supervisor. His expertise and resourcefulness have made him a valuable asset to the Blackhawk Assembly Division within the Directorate of
Aircraft Production. He successfully utilizes team concept methodologies with the artisans, production controllers and quality control inspectors. Utilizing the rare talent of combining flexibility and the eagerness to perform under adversity and limitations have enabled him to perform
above 100% and to meet production schedules under a variety of uncontrollable conditions such as parts shortages and manpower restrictions.
High expectations are expected of himself and his subordinates to ensure a proficient and quality product. His guiding principle, in meeting
all task and mission requirements, is stressing to all his artisans and work leaders that quality is built in and not inspected in. Mr. Kunicki has
distinguished himself with exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless
pursuit of excellence and dedication to ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a true
quality performer and reflects credit on not only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
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October 15, 2010
Commander’s Award for Quality Performance
The Commander’s Award for Quality Performance is being presented to Travis Lindley for exceptional performance as a Quality Assurance Specialist assigned to the Quality Assurance Division within the Directorate of Quality Assurance. He serves as chairperson for
the Configuration Control Board responsible for reviewing and approving all Critical Safety Item travelers for the AH-64 and OH-58
Component Programs. A recent accomplishment of his, was being instrumental in pursuing the satisfactory approval of CCAD as an
AMCOM Approved Source for shot-peening of main transmission and gearbox gears. He expeditiously identified and ensured required
changes to travelers were completed, ensured the Frozen Process Plan was completed and also took it upon himself to seek and gain
approval to utilize production parts as test cases. Normally the process to become an Approved Source can take up to 12 months, but
with his vigorous actions and perseverance it was accomplished in less than 6 months. Mr. Lindley has distinguished himself with exceptional professional skill, motivation and a personal commitment to improving depot quality. His relentless pursuit of excellence and
dedication to ensuring the quality of the products and services we provide the Warfighter has identified him as a true quality performer
and reflects credit on not only himself, but his directorate and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
Combined Federal Campaign: $1,000,000,000
“We need to try the 60 yard field goal--we know we can hit 30 yard shots all day,” --Col. Carlile.
The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is a once-a-year
fund-raising campaign for all federal employees. The CFC
includes all federal installations within a
12 county area of South Texas. This year’s
CCAD campaign goal is $600,000. Last
year CCAD raised just over $606,000. The
mission of the CFC is to support and to promote philanthropy through a program that is
employee-focused, cost-efficient and effective in providing all federal employees the
opportunity to improve the quality of life
for all.
ees created the CFC-one campaign, once a year. By allowing employees to select the organizations of their choice
from a single brochure and to make their
contributions through payroll deduction,
the CFC opened the door to more opportunities for generous giving to literally
hundreds of worthy causes.
An Executive Order made the CFC a reality, and turned an innovative idea into
a uniquely effective way for federal employees to help those in need across our
community and throughout the world.
The CFC is the only authorized solicitation of employees in the federal workplace on behalf of charitable organizations. It continues to be the largest and
most successful workplace fundraising
model in the world.
Its tradition of commitment to the community through the selfless efforts of federal
employees has its roots in the many charitable campaigns of the early 1960s. Seeing
a need to bring the diversity of fundraising
efforts under one umbrella, federal employ19
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AirCraftsman
Around Your Depot...
Carlos Barron, receiving his certificate from Col. Chris Carlile, retired after 35 years of service in the Plating Shop
October 15, 2010
Juan H. Trevino (542A) received his 30 Yr Length of Service
certificate and pin from Casey Barrera, Chief, T700 Engine
Division , 54200, at ceremonies today, 28 Jul 10.
Mr. Edward Hernandez, Chief, Transmission and Gear Box
Assy/Disassy/E&E Spt Div, 54500, presented Mr. Edward C.
Montelongo, with his 15 Yr Length of Service certificate and
pin at ceremonies held on Wednesday, 22 Sep 10.
Certificates of Achievement were awarded by Col. Christpher Carlile to Guadalupe “Wally” Gonzalez (top photo)
and Minerva Ramirez-Walters (below)
Mark Avalos placed second in Captain’s Cup Tennis
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AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
Voluntary Protection Program - A culture being instilled at the depot
Corpus Christi Army Depot held an award ceremony to celebrate receiving Star Status with the Voluntary Protection
Program, September 3. David Askew, Safety and Occupational Health, served as the master of ceremonies at the
event, held off-base at the Mansion Royal.
Guest speakers included Michael Rivera, Corpus Christi
area director from the U.S. Department of Labor and Paul
Savage of the Department of Defense VPP Center of Excellence. Hundreds of CCAD employees and partners attended
the event to either gain recognition for their participation in
the VPP program or to show their support for the changing
culture.
VPP Star Status is the culmination of a five-year effort by
management, unions, and the workforce to improve safety
conditions at the depot. Armed with the certification, CCAD
anticipates fostering a new culture for CCAD that focuses on
safety and occupational health. CCAD joins the ranks of Tobyhanna Army Depot and Crane Army Ammunition Activity
as one of three Army Material Command organizations to
achieve VPP certification.
Maj. Gen. Polly A. Peyer, Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. learned first-hand
about the Army depot’s Joint Depot Level Maintenance and the Structural Improvement Program for the Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk
during her brief but substantial tour of CCAD’s facilities, Aug. 20.
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October 15, 2010
Congratulations to Sharon Haynes, CCAD Protocol Officer.
Sharon was recognized by Leticia Mondragon, Director of
the Community Blood Bank, as Blood Drive Coordinator
of the Month (October). Sharon serves as the depot blood
donation coordinator between the depot and the local blood
bank in addition to her responsibilities as Protocol Officer.
Once again CCAD was #1 in blood donations demonstrating that CCAD supports the community as well as supports
the troops. “CCAD leads the way” thanks to its workforce
and dedicated people like Sharon Haynes.
Congratulations to CCAD FORE! They beat BLDG.2 in the
championship match on August 12. Pictured are (l-r) Eric
Pattengill, Randy Smith and Isaac Ortega. Other team members are Gary Adams, Dave Dowling, Leroy Galindo and
Ed Mickley. CCAD FORE: 1st place, BLDG.2: 2nd place
and VT-31: 3rd place. Thanks to all the participants who
played in the Captain’s Cup Golf.
Army Aviation Assn. of America Scholarships
were awarded to:
Jazlene Garcia, $2000.00, UTSA Health Center
Morgan Haynes: $1500.00, TSU
Patrick Tran: $1500.00 TAMU, College Station
Savannah Lester: $1500.00, TSU
Cynthia Tran: $500.00,UTexas Pan American
Richard Smith: $500.00, Del Mar College
The ASAP Prevention Coordinator, Celia Cox spent part
of her Saturday in Sinton providing Suicide Prevention
training to the soldiers of the 370th and 554th units of the
US Army Reserve.
We offered our services to local Reserve Units after learning that they were not receiving required behavioral health
training from their reserve command.
Most of these folks have deployed multiple times, so Celia
decided to take along a cake to say thanks to the soldiers for
their dedication and service.
Celia’s last day is on Sept. 30, and we are going to sorely
miss her personal commitment to her duties as the Prevention Coordinator.
FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/pages/CorpusChristi-TX/Corpus-Christi-Army-Depot//127503813936902
TWITTER: the Twitter feed to follow is “CCADPAO”
22
AirCraftsman
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
October 15, 2010
Crash Battle
Damage UH60 Arrives at
CCAD
Col. Neil Thurgood, PM,Utility Helicopters, Lt. Col. Heyward
Wright, PM, UH-60, and Zach Best present an award to Col. Christopher Carlile, CCAD Commander and Tammy Tuttle, Director of
Prod. Mgmt. recognizing that CCAD completed two UH-60A-A to
L Recap aircraft on 30 September 2010, bringing the total number
of aircraft completing A-A to L Recap in FY10 to 38. This milestone marks the highest number of aircraft completed under the
UH-60 Recap program in a given fiscal year and is a testament to
the dedicated support and commitment of the leadership, artisan,
and industry partner team at CCAD who made it happen.
Riggers:
Steve Spurlock
Robert Bell
Joseph Gushanas
Noel Varela
Aircraft Delivery:
Jay Gordon, Work Leader
Donald Alexander (AGS)
Ildefonso Delagarza Sr.
Guadalupe Galindo
Juan Martinez
Jose Untalan
Pablo Villafranco
Justin Walls
Craig Younkers
Photos by Ed Mickley
23
AirCraftsman
e-Volume 8, Issue 7
October 15, 2010
Awe-inspiring “Conquer the Coast”
fascinating to see beginner, novice and seasoned cyclists show
up from out of state to participate in the event and have their
whole family in tow for support and to also enjoy the postrace festivities to include the Bayfest activities during their stay
throughout the weekend.
The starting line on both sides of the road were lined with
family members cheering on their loved ones, taking photos
and shooting amateur video of the race start. It was really motivating to see all of that cheering when we left the starting line.
On our way up the Harbor Bridge we heard the sounds of
honking horns and shouts of cheer and motivation coming from
the passing cars on the left-hand lane crossing over the bridge.
At that moment, I thought, “wow, I can just imagine how the
‘pro’ riders feel when they zoom through the small towns in Le
Tour de France and climb through the Pyrenees mountains to
see friends, family members, supporters and well-wishers on
the left and right sides of the roadway cheering them on!”
I realize that “Conquer the Coast” is nowhere near, nor can
you even begin to compare it to professional cycling racing,
however, it’s really motivating to see this kind of support and
enthusiasm the public has towards cycling in Corpus Christi,
Texas!
I never imagined that cycling would ever get this much attention and support but in the past couple of years it seems to
be getting more and more advertised and promoted throughout
the state of Texas to include our beautiful city and this makes
me very, very proud to see. I am hoping to see more and more
cycling venues come to Corpus Christi in the near future.
By Leo Gonzales, Protocol Assistant
It was an honor to participate in another awe-inspiring “Conquer the Coast” bicycle race this year and boy, did it go off with
a big bang!
I was really fascinated to see the enormous turnout this year
compared to previous years. Corpus Christi was visited this
year by cyclists located in different cities throughout the great
state of Texas to include the coastal bend areas. It was really
Employees from the Black Hawk Assembly Division, Directorate of Production
Management, and Directorate of Quality
Assurance received Golden Wrench and
Special Act Awards for their contributions during July, August, and September 2010 in support of FY2010 Black
Hawk production.
July’s FMA Luncheon featured EEO’s
Juan Valdez seen here receiving his
FMA ballcap as thanks for his speaking.
Chuck “the Chucktser” Pagano receives his new delivery
cart from MG James Myles during Myle’s tour Aug. 25.
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e-Volume 8, Issue 7
AirCraftsman
On The Spot! Division Chief Charles Garza (l) and Supervisor
David Downing (far right) presented awards to Luis Ferniz, Jason
Harlin and Joe Roberts for working on N-Model Aircraft 9FD05
in Structures 528F0.
October 15, 2010
Army Aviation Association presented a Certificate of Appreciation
to Annette Cross for her contribution to the advancement of aims
and purposes of AAAA and Army Aviation and to the success of the
2010 Luther Jones Summit.
The Joint Propulsion Coordination Committee visited AMRDEC to provide an active forum for communication and resolution of common challenges facing the DoD with regard to aviation propulsion systems, mainly focusing on engines. These challenges include
improving safety, affordability and readiness, easing logistics burdens, and addressing common technical issues. Membership of the
JPCC includes the US Air Force, Navy, DLA and Army propulsion principal officers and executives, and is attended by high level aircraft
propulsion system managers, logisticians and engineers. The group met at Corpus Christi on 5-6 May.
9th Annual Quad-A Scholarship Golf Tourney Nets $14K
Golfers gathered during the cool morning of Oct 12, at Newport Dunes Golf Club in Port Aransas for the 9th Annual AAAA Scholarship Golf Tournament. 25 teams teed off at 0900 and finished a few hours later to find the winning team of Matt Rowe, David Kegley,
Don Dawson, and Mac McQuerry won with 20 under par.
25
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AirCraftsman
October 15, 2010
A Brief History — The Medal of Honor*
The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by the nation’s fighting men was established by General
George Washington on August 7, 1782. Designed to recognize
“any singularly meritorious action,” the award consisted of a purple cloth heart. Records show that only three persons received the
ward: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, Sergeant William Brown, and
Sergeant Daniel Bissel Jr.
The Badge of Military Merit, as it was called, fell into oblivion
until 1932, when General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief
of Staff, pressed for its revival. Officially reinstituted on February 22, 1932, the now familiar Purple Heart was at first an Army
award, given to those who had been wounded in World War I
or who possessed a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate. In
1943, the order was amended to include personnel of the Navy,
Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Coverage was eventually extended to include all services and “any civilian national” wounded while serving with the Armed Forces.
Although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the
Revolutionary War, the idea of a decoration for individual gallantry remained through the early 1800s. In 1847, after the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, a “certificate of merit” was
established for any soldier who distinguished himself in action.
No medal went with the honor. After the Mexican-American
War, the award was discontinued, which meant there was no
military award with which to recognize the nation’s fighting men.
Early in the Civil War, a medal for individual valor was proposed to General-in-Chief of the Army Winfield Scott. But Scott
felt medals smacked of European affectation and killed the idea.
The medal found support in the Navy, however, where it was
felt recognition of courage in strife was needed. Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy medal of valor, was
signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on December 21,
1861. The medal was “to be bestowed upon such petty officers,
seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seamanlike qualities during the
present war.”
Shortly after this, a resolution similar in wording was introduced on behalf of the Army. Signed into law July 12, 1862,
the measure provided for awarding a medal of honor “to such
noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish
themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldierlike qualities, during the present insurrection.”
Although it was created for the Civil War, Congress made the
Medal of Honor a permanent decoration in 1863.
Almost 3,400 men and one woman have received the award
for heroic actions in the nation’s battles since that time.
* Quoted from “Armed Forces Decorations and Awards,” a
publication of the American Forces Information Service. Copies
of the pamphlet are available upon request (in print format only),
via the “DefenseLINK Comment/Question Form” in the “Questions” section.
CCADer Jeffrey Churchill added this footnote: American
Revolutionary War hero, Sergeant Elijah Churchill, mentioned in
the attached Department of Defense article is a descendant of my
ninth great-grandfather, Josiah Churchill.
Not only that, but our family has a second Medal of Honor winner who is also my cousin through grandfather Josiah Churchill.
American Civil War hero, Samuel Joseph Churchill, who fought
for the north with the 2nd Illinois Light Artillery distinguished
himself at the Battle of Nashville while manning a cannon singlehandedly firing into Confederate forces until one other soldier
brave enough to assist him came to his aid.
CCAD NOW ON FACEBOOK
force-wide email and via Pass Down.
There are OPSEC, INFORMATION ASSURANCE, IT
and WORK-RELATED issues and policies each CCAD employee is responsible for and will be held accountable to
uphold.
If there are any usage questions, PLEASE discuss with
your immediate supervisor.
Social media sites and our web page (soon to be redesigned and uploaded) are additional channels to get information published. It is not a venue to peruse while at work.
-------ANOTHER AVENUE:
This is one more avenue to get the word out about great
things that are happening here, but also provides another route to get critical and timely information concerning
weather, incidents, and work related issues.
Support CCAD, suggest our sites to a friend and engage
our online communities.
This just in:
Facebook Membership has topped 500 Million users.
Corpus Christi Army Depot is following in the footsteps
of our leadership (AMC, AMCOM) in setting up Facebook
and Twitter accounts. More Social media sites (FLIKR,
Linked-In, YOUTUBE and others) will be added as things
progress.
We’re using these as additional channels to get the depot’s information out, not only for the workforce, but local
and national audiences including ARMY commands (AMC,
AMCOM, Program Managers, PEOs, etc).
FACEBOOK: Bookmark the page,
“http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corpus-Christi-TX/
Corpus-Christi-Army-Depot//127503813936902” to gain
access and become a fan. To become a fan, select “like” and
it’ll happen.
TWITTER: the Twitter feed to follow is “CCADPAO”
------CCAD Policies
PLEASE READ THE MEMORANDUM, “Responsible
Use of Internet-based Capabilities,” attached in the work26
DID YOU KNOW?
August 2010
Six Sigma Boxplot Outlier:
An outlier is a data point that does not fit a model because of
an erroneous reading or some other abnormal situation. It is significantly outside the range that
Minitab would be expecting to see your data. Often, outliers reflect errors in recording data.
DA BLACK BELT RETIRES
Mr. Ronald Aycock is nominated for a Commander’s Award for Civilian Service to the Corpus
Christi Army Depot for 28 years of civilian service. Mr. Aycock has been a CCAD Team Member who
has served with distinction for the past 28 years. His devotion to duty, dedication to his fellow team
members, and outstanding performance are to be commended. During his career, Mr. Aycock has
served as an Air Condition Technician in the Directorate of Engineering Services and Program Analyst
in the Office of Continuous Improvement. As an Air Condition Technician, he focused his efforts to
provide quick response time to trouble calls to prevent loss of production, prevent damage to equipment, and provide a comfortable environment during the hot South Texas weather. As a Program Analyst, he led the Lean Six Sigma Team. As a Department of the Army certified Black Belt, he coached
and mentored Black Belt candidates with their projects and coordinated Black Belt and Green Belt
Training. He also tracked the progress of belt projects utilizing the Army’s Power Steering program.
Mr Aycock also completed his Master Black Belt course work which is a prerequisite to his Master
Black Belt certification. He played a vital role in CCAD’s strategic alignment with the Department of
the Army Business Transformation and contributed to process improvements on the shop floor greatly
enhancing the Depot’s capabilities in providing on-time delivery and quality products to the War
Fighter.
QUICK WINS JULY/AUGUST 2010
DIRECTORATE
Aircraft Production
EVENT
UH-60 Nose-Aft Cabin Drain Holes QW
Aircraft Production
Timekeeping using MMETS in 524B0
Aircraft Production
Timekeeping using MMETS in 524C0
Aircraft Production
Timekeeping using MMETS in 524F0
THE MONEY YOU COULD
BE SAVING!!
CONTACT THE OCI
Aircraft Production
Engine Mount Repair QW
Aircraft Production
UH-60 Cyclic Stick QW
Aircraft Production
Component
Production
UH-60 Collective Stick QW
UH-60 Horn Assembly GFM QW
POWER
STEERING#
SAVINGS
NG4761
$1,531.00(avoidance)
NG4760
$15,896.00(avoidance)
NG4759
$8,468.00(avoidance)
NG4758
$10,538.00(avoidance)
NG4769
$34,413.00(avoidance)
NG4789
$8,037.00(avoidance)
NG4799
$8,686.00(avoidance)
NG4741
$19,513.03(avoidance)
Engineering Services
Tool Box Foam Inserts QW
NG4757
$10,054.00(avoidance)
Engineering Services
Water Treatment QW
NG4794
$431,485.00(savings)
Production
Management
Reduction of UH-60 Excess Material in WIPCA
NG4822
$12,677,615.40(avoidance)
Staff Offices
Executive Management Overview Training QW
NG4795
$58,465.00(avoidance)
Staff Offices
TPM/AMW Training QW
NG4797
$44,751.00(avoidance)
August 2010
Black Belt and Green Belt Courses at CCAD
The following BB & GB courses will be offered locally at CCAD in the coming Fiscal Year:
Course Number
BB11025
Week 1
Week 2
4-Apr-11
9-May-11
GB11011
6-Dec-10
GB11018
GB11045
Week 3
Week 4
Location
6-Jun-11
11-Jul-11
Corpus Christi, TX
10-Jan-11
--
--
Corpus Christi, TX
7-Feb-11
07-Mar-11
--
--
Corpus Christi, TX
8-Aug-11
12-Sep-11
--
--
Corpus Christi, TX
For a complete course schedule for all sites and dates, go to the Army Business Transformation Web Page on AKO and click on “Army LSS Training” link on the left side of the page. To sign up for a course, log into TIPs and search for the appropriate course description or number. All Green
Belts & Black Belts MUST have an assigned project prior to being submitted for class enrollment in ATRRS and prior to the start of class. Contact
OCI Six Sigma Team for assistance in getting projects validated and entered into the PowerSteering database.
Selecting Belt Candidates Black Belt and Green Belt candidates should have strong leadership and team-building skills. Strong academic backgrounds in Engineering, Business, or technical/scientific disciplines are ideal, but not absolutely required. Equivalent work experience in these
disciplines should also be considered in lieu of education.
TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE
What is TPM?
It’s a production driven strategic plant improvement methodology which enables continuous and rapid improvement of the manufacturing process and ensures
efficient management of plant assets. TPM is an engine, for building cross functional teams, which take ownership of an asset’s reliability and efficiency. TPM achieves
zero losses through overlapping small group activities, employee empowerment and closed loop measurement results.
Why TPM?
Customer satisfaction demands higher Quality. We need to establish conditions that will not allow defects, and managing conditions that will prevent defects to
improve our quality and safety. We need to change our work environment (asset utilization) to create autonomous operations and people friendly working equipment, to
increase our productivity, efficiency, and moral. Our Customer demands shorter delivery times (JIT) therefore we need to minimize machine setup times to get our products to the customer on time. To stay competitive with other Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Depots and generate revenue for the depot we must reduce our
cost dramatically by pursuing the extreme in equipment (production) effectiveness. Attaining world class status, will require all of us to work together to increase our
productivity, quality, reduce cost, provide on time delivery, increase safety awareness, and improve moral. Productivity, Quality, Cost Delivery, Safety and Morale
(PQCDSM), THIS IS THE FORMULA TO REACH WORLD CLASS STATUS
DID YOU KNOW?
September 2010
Six Sigma:
Pareto charts are a type of bar chart. The height of the bars can represent a count or percent
of errors/defects or their impact in terms of delays, rework, cost, etc. The largest bar can help determine which
categories will yield the biggest gains if addressed.
Reduction of UH
UH--60 Excess Material in
WIPCA Quick Win
Over $12 Million Cost Avoidance
A team comprised of AMCOM, CCAD, and Sikorsky employees re-
cently completed work on a major inventory reduction Lean Six Sigma “Quick Win” project that identified and reduced UH60 excess material in CCAD’s Work in Process Control Activity (WIPCA). The team members were Candice Santos, Johnny
Villalobos, Tara Connally, Laura Webb, Jennifer Takacs, Joe Quintanilla, Art Gomez, and Tracey McGraw Howard. Since
2003, undefined contractual requirements and lack of effective inventory controls and mechanisms have resulted in excessive amounts of remaining Government Furnished Material (GFM) (new and refurbished) in WIPCA after the completion of
annual UH-60 Programs. The team goals were: 1) Identify and quantify excess GFM material in WIPCA that could be applied to support UH-60 Partnership Program requirements for FY10 and out years, and 2) Establish a GFM initial baseline
and decrement from the Contract. The team’s recommended improvements led to changes in how the UH-60 program material is managed. Under the new process, the Material Management Division Chief will give approval for the initial-baseline
and re-baseline of WIPCA inventory used in contract negotiation efforts. CCAD Program Analysts will validate GFM inventory levels to ensure that the proper requirements are given for WIPCA material in the contract. Excessive inventory will be
applied to FY10 workload requirements and out years, and modifications were made according to Sikorsky contract for adjusted material costs. Due to the improvements from this Quick Win team, the FY10 Sikorsky Contract was modified for
excess material, decreasing the contract by $11,094,261 for components and $1,583,354 for airframes. The resulting benefit for the government was a cost avoidance of $12,677,615.
By: Elizabeth (Liz) Jimenez
QUICK WINS SEPTEMBER 2010
DIRECTORATE
Aircraft Production
Industrial Risk
Management
EVENT
POWER
STEERING#
SAVINGS
NG4890
$10,408.00(avoidance)
NG4891
$5,346.00(avoidance)
Deservicing LH/RH UH-60 Main Landing Gear
(MLG) Struts
OH-IH Database QW
THE MONEY YOU COULD BE SAVING!! CONTACT OCI
September 2010
TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE
What it takes to become an Autonomous Maintenance Leader (TPM )
Attend AMW Leader Certification Course
Phase I of the certification process for an Autonomous Maintenance Leader includes attending a Lockout/Tag Out course and
participating in an Autonomous Maintenance Workshop (AMW); this assists the future leader in becoming familiar with the
workshop process.
In Phase II of the certification process the future leader takes more of a leadership role by becoming a Sub Team Lead of a
small group of individuals during an AMW. If the future leader has demonstrated their ability to lead small teams they are
asked to Co-Lead on the next AM workshop. As the Co-Lead the candidate will learn how to host a workshop, lead larger
teams, and lead a workshop.
Upon completion of the Autonomous Maintenance (AM) Leader certification process, the candidate must demonstrate the
ability to lead and host an Autonomous Maintenance Workshop, coach and mentor future AM leaders, and participate in future AM workshops. For more information contact Adrian Gonzalez (TPM Coordinator) 961-5843