MICHAEL R. SAUM, P.E.
COMMANDING OFFICER Captain, Civil Engineer Corps United States Navy
Team EXWC,
A Holiday Message from EXWC’s Commanding Officer
During “normal ops” at this special time of year, it is Kail and my privilege and honor to not only tell you, but also show you how much leadership appreciates your diligence and hard work. Unfortunately, this year looks different—we are not able to have a holiday luncheon or a cubicle-decorating contest—but the sentiment remains the same. We are celebrating our successes, our camaraderie, and the end to a very unusual calendar year. All year long, but especially during the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to you—our employees— who have made EXWC’s success possible. This year has been trying for all of us; I am not going to candycoat that. But from adversity comes opportunity! What this year has taught us is that even during the most challenging and unpredictable of times, we can adapt on the fly; come together as a team; grow and mature our systems and best practices; and continue to fulfill our mission of supporting the warfighter. The words can’t describe the enormity of what you endured to keep the mission on track…you are resilient and you are agile! There you have it, there is positivity amidst the chaos. I can honestly say even leadership has had our fair share of growing pains, but like you, we have shown up—or stayed in—and continued to do the job that has been asked of us. We do this because who is better equipped to support the warfighter than the scientists, engineers and administrators at EXWC.
I also want to emphasize and send my sincerest gratitude to your families. We cannot forget that by keeping our families safe and healthy these past 8 months, we have had to recreate our working environments, which have likely lead to your own household growing pains. By now, I am sure many of you have worked out an at home battle-rhythm. I understand this is not easy—as does EXWC’s leadership. We personally thank you and your families for being flexible as you continue to satisfy the mission. Although we are not physically together to celebrate this year’s achievements, we are together in spirit, and look headfirst to what will be another year of EXWC success. Enjoy this holiday season with your loved ones. Please remember to be safe and stay healthy. On behalf of EXWC leadership, we wish you the very best this holiday season.
Vr/ Captain Mike Saum NAVFAC EXWC Commanding Officer
