The Engineering Edge
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
April 2013
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Volume 5, Issue 4
The Environmental and Field Test Branch Puts Equipment Durability to the Test with Climate, Harsh and Environmental Testing
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n a given work day Audrey Moberly and Greg Carter can visit the tropics, freeze in the Arctic or survive a sandstorm. As engineers within the Environmental and Field Test Branch (EFTB), they spend time walking in and out of the branch’s 26 Environmental Test Chambers assisting groups within and outside of Edgewood Chemical Biological Center to ensure that their Military equipment from backpacks to masks and detectors can withstand any natural elements.
“We are here to do the hard testing to ensure that the equipment being sent to our Warfighters can last through harsh environmental elements,” said Moberly, who has been with the EFT Branch for 17 years. The testing chambers include temperature/humidity, salt fog, sand/dust, solar radiation, altitude, hot environmental, cold environmental and rain. The temperature chambers range from negative 60
To access the electronic version of this newsletter, visit: http://www.ecbc.army.mil/news/ENG/ APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Continues to Page 7 . .
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Inside This Month’s Issue: pg.1,7|Around the World in 26 Chambers: The Environmental and Field Test Branch Puts Equipment Durability to the Test with Climate, Harsh and Environmental Testing pg.3,8|Engineering Directorate’s 11th Strategic Management Meeting Stresses Leadership as a Teamed Approach for Employees of All Levels pg.4-6|Special Women’s History Month Reports pg.5|Harford County Community Leaders Share Personal Triumphs and Lessons for Third Annual ECBC 2013 Women’s History Event pg.6|RDECs Partner Across APG Locations for Workforce Development in Recognition of Women’s History Month
Awareness: Distracted Driving Awareness Month We’re all guilty of it. You notice that little flashing light on your cell phone, so you take your hand off the wheel, and your eyes off the road for just a second to see what you’ve missed. But did you know that this small, seemingly insignificant second can make you 23 times more likely to get into a car crash? April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the National Safety Council is kicking off a campaign to educate drivers on the perils of distracted driving. For instance, did you know that using a cell phone while driving: Quadruples your risk of a car accident? actually switching from task to task. And, a Actually, data suggests no difference measurable amount of time occurs between between a handheld and hands-free device. the end of one task and the beginning of More U.S. soldiers are killed in crashes in another. This time, generally several tenths privately-owned vehicles than all other Army of a second, is referred to as “reaction-time ground casualties combined. By adding an switching cost,” and can really add up. unnecessary distraction, you can exacerbate This month, strive to be a more focused an already risky scenario. driver. Here are some small steps: Is restricted within 10 states, regulated • Pull over before taking calls on military bases, and banned for texting • Leave your cell phone in your pocket or purposes for Federal employees? handbag There are repercussions beyond safety – you could be ticketed for using a cell phone. • Sign the National Safety Council’s pledge, at <www.nsc.org/forms/distracteddriving_ Could lengthen your commute time? pledge.aspx> There is no such thing as multi-tasking. Data from the National Safety Council, and While it may seem a time-saving measure distraction.org to do two things at once, your brain is
Ask a Tech Tip: Making Bubbles Mike Kauzlarich, of the Pyrotechnics and Explosives Branch, reveals how the techniques and lessons learned in labs can help you solve your household problems. Submit a question to him at usarmy.APG.ecbc.mbx.engineering-directorate@mail.mil. This newsletter was published through the Balanced Scorecard. For article suggestions, questions or comments please contact Ed Bowen at edward.c.bowen8.civ@mail.mil
Spring is around the corner and it’s time to get the kids and grandkids out of winter quarters. We have a suggestion on just how to do that which serves as an introduction to chemistry for children, but keeps things fun, safe and interesting: making bubbles, BIG bubbles. Here are a couple of formulas that will make you a hit with the kids in your house and the neighborhood: • 1 oz of Dishwashing Liquid
OR
• 8 oz bottle of commercial bubble solution
• 2 cups distilled water
• Add 1 or 2 oz of Dishwashing Liquid
• ½ oz Glycerin
• 1 or 2 oz of Glycerine
And there is one formula for the adults who want to join in on the fun too (you’re never too old to enjoy bubbles). This formula makes military grade bubbles: • 60 cc distilled water
Add
• 1 tablespoon gelatin
• 9 cc Glycerine
• Heat to get the gelatin to dissolve
• 3 cc Dishwashing Liquid
Have fun, but remember to let the kids play with it too! APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
The Engineering Edge |April 2013| 3
Engineering Directorate’s 11th Strategic Management Meeting Stresses Leadership as a Teamed Approach for Employees of All Levels
The Engineering Directorate’s 11th Strategic Management Meeting highlighted collaboration as a necessary leadership technique.
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he Engineering Directorate held its 11th Strategic Management Meeting (SMM) on Thursday 19 February. This meeting continued to lay the groundwork for the Directorate’s business development process and Communications efforts, while also providing updates on several other initiatives including employee growth and development, knowledge retention and new hire support.
In our current environment, we have two options. We can either stand idle and let things happen to us or we can take responsibility for ourselves as an organization and put measures in place to position where we want to be.” – AJay Thornton, Director of the Engineering Directorate
This meeting is the 11th Directorate-wide meeting since its inception in 2007, as part of the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard Strategy (BSC) strategic planning process. More than 50 ECBC Engineering employees attended both in-person at Edgewood, and through video teleconference at ECBC-Rock Island. BSC is the Directorate’s tool for strategic planning, implementation and management. The SMMs are used to measure progress of the strategy and guide BSC efforts. These meetings provide a forum for initiative teams within the Engineering Directorate to present their progress to the Board of Directors. During the 19 February meeting, attendees were able to see how the Directorate’s business development process has become more integrated and produced an overlap with the Directorate’s effective communications strategy. With the approval of Engineering senior leadership in the past year, the business development initiative, produced a Directorate-wide
process that is built to empower and educate employees on how to be their own business developers through effectively articulating what they do and what sets ECBC apart from its competitors. Ed Bowen, Strategic Planning and Business Operations Branch Chief opened the meeting with a quote from Peter Drucker, a management consultant known as the Man Who Created the Modern Business Corporation. “The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I.’ And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say I,” Bowen read from Drucker. “They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but ‘we’ get the credit.” The theme of good leaders working together to accomplish goals was seen throughout the rest of the SMM. All ten of the Directorate’s Division Chiefs and the Directorate’s Front Office collaborated to create, plan and sponsor initiatives identified as priorities by the group. These initiatives are: develop a business development process and tools; retain knowledge & expertise relevant to core competencies; customer service; develop a human capital strategy; develop a smart growth infrastructure plan and strategic communication. These prioritized initiatives were a result of a SWOT analysis where Division and Branch Chiefs assessed the strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the Directorate. Humberto Galarraga, Detection/Decontamination Division Chief, discussed the “develop a business development process and tools” initiative. This initiative is targeted toward getting each individual more “business-minded” through equipping the workforce with tools that will help them effectively articulate their capabilities to customers and stakeholders. A Directorate-wide Marketing Toolkit was Continues to Page 8
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The Engineering Edge |April 2013| 5
Harford County Community Leaders Share Personal Triumphs and Lessons for Third Annual ECBC 2013 Women’s History Event
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yebrows were collectively raised in the Berger Auditorium during a discussion on work-life balance, and the “superhuman” expectations placed upon working women. Nancy Kammerer, Deputy Director of the Joint Project Manager for Nuclear, Biological Chemical Contamination Avoidance, extended the discussion of women and work life balance that she started at her 2011 Women in Science and Engineering Keynote Speech, to this year at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s Women’s History Month Speaker Series. “I had my kids when I was a GS-14,” revealed Kammerer. “So I was already a team leader and working a hectic schedule – but you manage it. I was a Cub Scout leader, I was a Brownie leader, I helped at schools. Those things happened, and I balanced it. But, what’s right for me isn’t right for everybody else.” Kammerer was discussing the options available to women who want to raise a family, and encouraged organizations to remain flexible and support their working women. She discussed a case in which she fought to allow an employee to work part-time while she raised her family, because it was the best thing to do for both her family and her career. “She’s now back full time, and is a fantastic employee. It made it better for the whole organization.” A spirited discussion among the attendees ended the final presentation of this year’s annual Women’s History Month Speaker Series. Since 2011, the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) has coordinated an annual “Women’s History Month event” (WISE) panel event centered on career development, professional networking and women sharing powerful experiences with employees. These events have earned ECBC the Federal Women’s Program Award for “Activity Most Supportive of FWP Goals” in 2011 and 2012. Each year, National Women’s History Month has been given a theme; this year’s theme was “Women Inspiring Innovation with Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).” In the Presidential Proclamation on Women’s History Month 2013, the President expressed his administration’s initiatives “…to helping ensure women are represented among tomorrow’s top scientists and engineers.” And so it was fitting for attendees to celebrate this initiative at ECBC, where some of the most dangerous substances are handled everyday by STEM experts. March’s Speaker Series highlighted women from across the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) community, as well as women leaders in the Harford County area who “inspire innovation through imagination.” This series provided ECBC employees, as well as other members of the APG community, an opportunity for an open discussion with several key
APG female leaders and influential women from the nearby community. At the 5 March discussion, founder and President of Beacon Staffing Alternatives and former Maryland State Delegate Sheryl Davis Kohl, shared how her different life experiences while growing up in Harford County helped her find her voice and stand out as a small business owner, local representative and an individual. “What are you good at? That’s your mind. What do we love doing? That’s your heart. What need do you serve? And that’s the body. And when we put it all together that’s your spirit,” Kohl explained. “So if you think about your inner passions and what makes you strong, then that’s an opportunity you have inside of yourself to make a difference.” On 12 March, Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Director Jill Smith spoke about Women, the Department of Defense and the Future, addressing the need for women to spend time thinking about their personal goals and stages in life, before agreeing to take on certain roles or make life-changing decisions. “The first time I was offered the position of Branch Chief I said, no,” said Smith told the audience. Denise Carnaggio, Deputy Director at Harford County’s Office of Economic Development and Harford County BRAC Coordinator, discussed the importance of sponsorship when it comes to gaining credibility in your field. Carnaggio, who won the 2012 Athena Award, a national award honoring women for their community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills, touched on the ways in which a sponsor differs from a mentor, and how one can harness an effective sponsor relationship. “Mentors are your friendly guides who give you advice, and sponsors are people who have organizational clout,” Carnaggio explained. “They are the ones who can open doors and can advocate for a promotion or project.” Carnaggio believes that tough economic situations are the times where mentors and sponsors should truly step into their role and help the next generation through. “When we step out and help others, it’s a huge investment to the community,” Carnaggio said. At the end of the discussion, Carnaggio presented retiring ECBC Outreach Coordinator Mary Doak with flowers as a thank you for her commitment to creating several avenues where ECBC employees could become mentors to Harford County students. People like Doak, Canraggio said and events such as the Women’s Speaker Series are essential in providing a future for organizations and the Nation. Carnaggio said, “women not only lead organizations, they lead in their community, they fight for their children, and they give voice to issues that are important to our collective future.”
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RDECs Partner Across APG Locations for Workforce Development in Recognition of Women’s History Month
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ill Smith, Director of the U.S. Army CommunicationsElectronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC), visited ECBC on March 12 to give a talk on women, the Department of Defense, and the future. The talk, organized as a part of the annual efforts that Edgewood Chemical Biological Center hosts in honor of National Women’s History Month in March. This year, the Center sponsored a month-long speaker series featuring influential women from the Aberdeen Proving Ground and Harford County Community. The collection of speakers centered on career development, professional networking and women sharing occupational experiences at varying levels and of different generations. Smith’s event drew a large group of attendees from ECBC, including Technical Director Joseph Wienand, APG workers and community members, who participated in the talk and Q&A session that followed. Work-life balance and career choices were hot topics during the Q&A session, and Smith did not shy away from any of the subjects. “The first time I was offered, the position of Branch Chief I said, no,” Smith told the audience. Smith was offered the position to become Branch Chief of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s Statistics and Probability Branch. Because of her background in Statistics, Smith’s managers felt she would be a good fit for the position. Smith, however, felt otherwise. “I did not feel like I was ready to be a Branch Chief,” Smith said. “I was called to the Director’s office three times to discuss the position and the third time, I told them that I was not done having my family, and being a Branch Chief, being pregnant and tending to my family was too much for me at that time.” Smith recalled colleagues telling her that she was wrong to turn down the position, and that her decision would stop
her from ever getting another promotion opportunity. “I told them, that if I was as good at my job as the managers thought, I would get another opportunity. And obviously, I did,” Smith said. “It is my life. Therefore it was truly my decision to figure out whether or not Branch Chief at that time was the best choice for my life.” As a part of hosting “Women, the Department of Defense and the Future” as an open Q&A format, Smith took questions from the audience on a variety of topics including the current economic climate and sequestration. Smith explained how different organizations, from ones that depend on contracts to Operations and Maintenance Army-funded (OMA) organizations, might be affected through sequestration. Smith noted the importance of looking beyond sequestration and at the overall Congressional budget. “Even more important than sequestration is the continuing resolution authority and what our future budget looks like, because that’s where we’ve got the big challenges particularly in the OMA accounts,” Smith said. Smith, former Director of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, has been a recognized leader within the APG community for over a decade. Smith’s name has become a mainstay on the APG speaker circuit, and she shares her experiences from across the Research, Development and Engineering Commands (RDECs) to contribute to the personal growth of the APG community and beyond. The event reinforced the partnership between CERDEC and the other RDECs, and their commitment to the development of the APG-wide workforce. “Jill has been with me as a lab director and RDEC director over the last few years, through all the turmoil and RDECOM changes,” Wienand said. “But she protects her organization and pushes us all forward as an R&D community. I really appreciate the things that she does as a Technical Director in our community.”
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The Engineering Edge |April 2013| 7
Around the World in 26 Chambers: The Environmental and Field Test Branch Puts Equipment Durability to the Test with Climate, Harsh and Environmental Testing Continued From Page 1 degrees Fahrenheit to 300 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity levels ranging from two to nearly 100 percent.
“We have to account for the travel to the location. Will it be driven through a Mountain terrain in a box at the back of a hot vehicle for a couple hours, or maybe a small cold space? Our facilities simulate everything from the final destination climate to any natural factors that could pose a problem while traveling there.” – Audrey Moberly, Engineer in Environmental Field Testing Branch
“There are many elemental factors that engineers need to be mindful of when creating and designing a product. It goes beyond just the climate of the area where they will be using the equipment,” said Moberly. “We have to account for the travel to the location. For example, will be driven through a Mountain terrain in a box at the back of a hot vehicle for a couple hours, or maybe a small cold space? Our facilities simulate everything from the final destination climate to any natural factors that could pose a problem while traveling there.” The group uses Shock, Vibration and Rough Handling Testing to simulate the travel of equipment. “We are able to test secured steady state or transient vibration and loose cargo tests,” said Carter. Vibration testing is controlled in a separate room with computer analog equipment where the engineers can observe the testing environment, and adjust conditions.
(From top left to bottom right) The Environmental and Field Test Branch conducts dust testing, utilizes the M-Field for smoke tests and performs types of water testing all on-campus at ECBC.
The group can videotapes testing for future documentation. The vibration testing complies with the American Society for Testing of Materials Test Standards and Military, Federal and Commercial test standards. In case a precious piece of equipment falls, EFTB’s Drop Tests can be conducted from up to 40 feet. EFTB can also conduct Altitude Testing, which is a low pressure test that can be conducted up to 45,000 feet. One version of the Altitude Test is a Rapid Decompression to simulate a sudden loss of pressure in an aircraft. EFT’s testing facilities have been used to test the Joint Service Aircrew Mask, Joint Service General Purpose Mask, RV vehicles for the Joint Program Manager for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Contamination Avoidance, and many others. “We support other teams and branches with testing their equipment. Our space is always here,” Moberly said. Sometimes the space might be used, but not the chambers. Recently, members of ECBC’s Test, Reliability and Engineering Branch and the Project Manager for Force Protection utilized the large space in EFT’s warehouse to test their Lighting Kit Motion Detectors. The group needed a large space with enough room for someone to run around and test the sensors, a task that is typically done outdoors. Due to cold weather the group was still able to conduct the testing they needed indoors. As resources change, equipment needs to be sent to Warfighters faster and be more durable for whatever comes. Environmental and Harsh Testing complies with Military Standard 810G of Materials Test Standards. “We can replicate almost any environment on Earth,” said Moberly. “Just tell us where you want to go.”
State of the art technology captures data from the different types of environmental and field tests.
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Engineering Directorate’s 11th Strategic Management Meeting Stresses Leadership as a Teamed Approach for Employees of All Levels Continued From Page 3
are bringing to the strategy with their participation,” said Randy Laye, Deputy Director of the Engineering Directorate. “I would like to thank each and every one of the Division Chiefs, the Branch Chiefs and everybody else who has been involved with the strategy for their time and commitment.” “In our current environment, we have two options,” said Thornton, “We can either stand idle and let things happen to us Humberto Galarraga, Detection/Decontamination Division Chief shared progress on the “develop a or we can take responsibility for business development process and tools” initiative. ourselves as an organization launched out of this initiative to provide employees a package and put measures in place to position where we want to be.” Thornton went on to say that participating in the Directorate’s of key messages to help foster meaningful conversations. Other outputs include a business development SharePoint site strategy means taking advantage of the opportunity to impact your future and the future of the Directorate. and bi-weekly Business Development Pipeline calls between Division Chiefs. In the future, the group hopes to create a “We have to educate ourselves on our capabilities and proposal process and tool as well as a Request for Proposal/ projects to ensure that we can support each other in and out Request for Information gathering process. of ECBC,” Thornton said. Division Chiefs will continue to work closely with the Front Office to be integral parts of the Directorate’s strategic management process
Other initiatives presented at the 11th SMM were establish a knowledge management program, employee growth and enrichment, develop an orientation program for new hires and promote a culture of effective communication. “We are a strategically focused organization and I’m very excited about the energy that the Division and Branch Chiefs
Closing out the meeting, Bill Klein, Associate Director of the Engineering Directorate, thanked Business Development Core Team leader David Love for his work to help develop the Core Team’s ideas into several outputs. Klein also recognized Jim Church, Individual Protection Branch Chief, who has been with the Directorate for 34 years for his commitment to the Directorate’s overall success through his high-quality work and mentoring efforts. Church will be retiring at the end of March. The next SMM will take place in June 2013.
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CBC Engineering is a strategy-focused organization. As we enter 2013, a year that is due to see a decrease in funding as well as other fiscal unknowns, ECBC Engineering’s strategy management builds processes, products and staff within the organization to effectively meet the challenges of our customer base. Our strategy helps us continue to design, build, test and support chemical and biological defense solutions for the Warfighter and Homeland. Our varied skill sets and unique capabilities transition technology from research to engineering development, production, testing, fielding and sustainment – all under the same roof, cutting costs and improving our tangible solutions. Join us in 2013 as we continue to use our forward thinking and subject matter expertise to shape the success of our future and to stay ahead of the curve.
To submit a story or obtain additional copies of newsletters please contact Edward.c.bowen8.civ@mail.mil. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE