Eagle BELVOIR
www.belvoireagleonline.com
May 11, 2017
NGA Marine awarded medal for life-saving efforts Submitted by NGA A Marine Corps staff sergeant assigned to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s headquarters at Belvoir was honored May 3 during a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Quantico, for the life-saving actions he took March 30 at NGA to save a coworker. Staff Sgt. Andrew Kremmel received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for performing CPR on a member of the NGA workforce who went into cardiac arrest while exercising at NGA’s gymnasium. “I am extremely proud, but I am not surprised,” said Heath Lewison, senior departmental requirements officer, Enterprise Collection Management, Marine Corps Intelligence Activity. “I know that Marines like Staff Sgt. Kremmel will do the right thing at all times, and I would expect nothing less than that from them.” The NGA employee went into cardiac arrest while working out and fell to the ground, said Krem-
mel. Kremmel heard the noise and ran over to his unconscious coworker. After he assessed the vitals and there was no pulse, he used a defibrillator and performed six minutes of CPR until an ambulance arrived. “I think Staff Sergeant Kremmel exemplifies the Marine Corps’ core values of honor, courage and commitment - especially the honor and courage,” Lewison said. “Honor comes with assisting and saving someone’s life, but (he had) the courage to step up when no one else would.” Cardiac arrest survival depends on how soon CPR is administered, according to the American Heart Association. Almost 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. “I was just reacting, and it was my Marine Corps training that kicked in,” Kremmel said. “I am humbled to receive the award and acknowledgement, but I am grateful that he is alive and his family is able to spend another day with him.”
The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal is a mid-level U.S. military decoration presented for sustained or significant acts of heroism or meritorious service. Kremmel is one of more than 500 active duty and reserve military members supporting NGA’s mission and daily operations. The Service members serve in a variety of jobs throughout the agency, and work with civilian and contract workforce to complete NGA’s mission. NGA delivers world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, warfighters, intelligence professionals and first responders. NGA is a unique combination of an intelligence agency and a combat support agency. It is the world leader in timely, relevant, accurate and actionable geospatial intelligence. NGA enables the U.S. intelligence community and the Defense Department to fulfill the president’s national security priorities. More information about NGA is available from www.nga.mil, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Marine Staff Sgt. Andrew Kremmel receives the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for performing CPR on a member of the NGA workforce who went into cardiac arrest while exercising at the NGA gymnasium. Kremmel did the life-saving measure at NGA’s headquarters in Springfield.
DLA director retires, a reflection on lengthy career Submitted by DLA Defense Logistics Agency Director Lt. Gen. Andy Busch marked the end of his 38-year Air Force career, May 4 with a retirement ceremony at DLA Headquarters on Fort Belvoir. Busch began serving as director of the agency near the end of 2014. During an earlier retirement luncheon, Busch received congratulations and well wishes from family, friends and colleagues. “Serving as director of DLA has been the highlight of my career,” Busch said. Busch earned his commission in 1979 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. He began his Air Force career as an aircraft maintenance officer,
served in a variety of sortie production roles and commanded three maintenance squadrons and a maintenance wing. As a lieutenant colonel, Busch pivoted toward logistics with the first of three assignments at DLA. For three years, starting in 1995, he served as chief of Weapons Systems Readiness Teams and executive officer of materiel management at DLA Headquarters. Busch’s second assignment with the agency came in 2007 when, as a brigadier general, he served two years as commander of DLA Aviation in Richmond, Va. DLA Aviation is a DLA primary-level field activity and supplies repair parts and operating supply items for the nation’s military aircraft.
As DLA director, Busch will be remembered for strengthening ties to warfighters and other important customers. He committed the agency to improving critical relationships with combatant commanders, warfighter commanders, government agency senior leaders, industry partners, coalition partners and other stakeholders. He made support to the nuclear enterprise a top priority, standing up the Nuclear Enterprise Support Office to improve and synchronize support to an area of the military he considered underserved. Busch initiated enhancements to DLA’s expeditionary capability by creating Global Response Force Rapid Deployment teams, one of which deployed to Haiti; and delivered disaster relief after Hurricane
Matthew. He also promoted workforce resiliency through an awareness campaign and established the agency’s first Sexual Assault Prevention and Reporting program. Speaking to Busch at his retirement luncheon, DLA Vice Director Ted Case said, “I feel safe in saying that DLA is in better shape now than when you arrived. You maintained the advancements of your predecessors, while initiating improvements of your own. Your legacy will be one of solid vision and leadership, which will only grow over time.” Busch is DLA’s 18th director and the fifth to come from the U.S. Air Force. See photo on page A6. More DLA coverage on page A2
Save the dates! All these events are open to everyone. Mike Causey from Federal News Radio 10 a.m. today Thurman Auditorium Bldg. 247
Run to Honor 5K
Bike to Work Day
Rescheduled for Friday Pullen Field 6:30 a.m. sign in begins
May 19 Pit stop near Walker Gate biketoworkmetrodc.org
Memorial observance 10 a.m. May 25 Long Parade Field Retired Col. D.R. Butler, guest speaker