AM General Receives First Civilian Contractor DCMA Awards
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Conferring an unprecedented honor on a civilian defense contractor, the Pentagon has awarded AM General five Honorary Service Awards for exceptional performance in meeting cost, delivery and performance requirements for the HMMWV – work-horse of U.S. ground forces around the world.
In a ceremony at the HMMWV assembly plant in Mishawaka, Ind., Lt. Col. Robert Sloan of the Defense Contract Management Agency, presented the awards to employees representing the entire HMMWV team.
Recognition from the Defense Contract Management Agency marks the first time that a civilian contractor has received these awards. DCMA is responsible for ensuring that military supplies and services meet performance requirements while staying within cost and on schedule. In the past these awards have gone to military agencies.
“We know how much is riding on the work we do,” said AM General President and CEO James Armour. “It is fitting that the government considers our work worthy of recognition usually reserved for military organizations. With the military veterans in AM General’s ranks and the work our Field Service Representatives do overseas working directly with the troops, we consider ourselves part of the military family.”
DCMA representatives who toured AM General engineering and production operations came away impressed by the quality of the latest-model armored HMMWV and the company’s commitment to constant improvement of the vehicle through interaction with the customer, including soldiers in the field.
Six company employees represented AM General in accepting the awards: From management, Greg Daniels, Executive Director, Contracts Management; Walt Botich, Vice President, Corporate Quality and Reliability; Carter Hamilton, Vice President, Vehicle Assembly Operations; and Mark Whalen, Vice President, Service Parts Logistics Operations; from the ranks of hourly employees, Tami James, secretary, Bargaining Committee, United Auto Workers Local 5; and Jim Michalski, Bargaining Committeeman, Service Parts Logistics Operations, UAW Local 5.
This marks the second time in three months that AM General has been recognized for outstanding work for the U.S. military. In October, at a ceremony attended by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., AM General President and CEO James A. Armour received the 2007 John W. Dixon Award from the Association of the United States Army, an honor given annually for outstanding contributions to national defense. In accepting the award, Armour said that he did so on behalf of all the employees of AM General whose hard work and dedication had made the award possible.
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