Coastal Compass June 2019

June 2019

THE FORCE BEHIND THE FLEET

2019 DIRECTOR'S CUP NSWC Panama City Division

Ensuring Warfighting Dominance in the Littoral Battlespace

About the Publication The Coastal Compass is published monthly by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) and is an authorized medium for news of general interest about employees of NSWC PCD and their work.

THE FORCE BEHIND THE FLEET

June 2019 | Vol. 7 Issue 6

The Coastal Compass’ content is provided and prepared by the NSWC PCD Office of Public and Congressional Affairs (Code 1031).

For details about submissions, contact: Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division 850-230-7400 110 Vernon Avenue | Panama City, Florida 32407 W_PNMA_NSWCPCD_PAO@navy.mil To contact NSWC PCD’s Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline call: 850-234-4462.

Capt. Aaron S. Peters, USN Edwin A. Stewart (SES) Commanding Officer

Technical Director

Editorial Staff

On the Cover

Production Manager

Don McCall Head, Public and Congressional Affairs Division, Code 103 Head, Visual Information Branch, Code 1032 Head, Technical Information Library, Code 1033

Public Affairs Officer Ashley Conner

Head, Communication and Community Relations Branch, Code 1031

Managing Editor

Dan Broadstreet, Public Affairs Specialist

Staff

Katherine Mapp, Public Affairs Specialist Susan H. Lawson, Public Affairs Specialist

Design

Haley Walker, Graphic Designer Janice Grant, Print Specialist

Photography

Ron Newsome, Photographer Anthony Powers, Photographer Eddie Green, Photographer 2 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

The June 2019 Coastal Compass is all about the 2019 Director's Cup event, where the NSWC PCD teams’ highperforming engineers raced to complete the technical tasks within the time limit.

The featured vehicle is the winning team, X Department's, "Dingo's Revenge." Photos also depict Edwin A. Stewart (SES), NSWC PCD Technical Director, and Capt. Aaron S. Peters, USN, NSWC PCD Commanding Officer, judging the various events at the competition.

U.S. Navy photos by Eddie Green

Featured

06

21

Beginning on page 6, read all about Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division's third Director's Cup Technical Competition.

In This Issue

View from the Bridge

4

Feature: 2019 Director's Cup

6

About 7 X Department Dominates Competition, Wins 2019 Director's Cup 8 Q&A with Director's Cup Leads 9 The Judges 10 Code A: Exterminators 12 Code E : E-lites 14 Code X: Dingo's Revenge 16 Event Recap 19

Tech Spotlight

NSWC Panama City Increases Capability with 3D Metal Printer

21

Connect With Us!

Read more on page 21 about how the Additive Manufacturing Laboratory is taking 3D printing one step further.

Workforce Connection

22

Welcome Aboard Calendar of Events Panama City Engineer Selected as Southeast Regional Coordinator People of Panama City Civilian Length of Service Collaboration Corner Lean In Anniversary

22 22

23 24 25 26 27

Lifestyle

28

Why I Work Here 28 Safety 29

21

NSWC PCD Wiki Homepage

iNFUSION | Tag your posts with #NSWCPCD https://fusion.navsea.navy.mil

facebook.com/nswcpcd

youtube.com/nswcpcdpao

W_PNMA_NSWCPCD_PAO@navy.mil

issuu.com/nswcpcd

https://wiki.navsea.navy.mil/display/NSWCPC/ Naval+Surface+Warfare+Center+Panama+City+Division

https://www.linkedin.com/company/naval-surface-warfare-center-panama-city-division/ June 2019 | 3

NSWC PCD Team, I hope you all had a chance to relax during the long Memorial Day weekend and reflect in solemn remembrance of the more than one million Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who gave their lives to secure our freedoms.

Capt. Aaron S. Peters Commanding Officer NSWC PCD

“

We will also continue to explore the Strategic Campaign Plan and the objectives and tasks nested under the goals. Both the Technical Director and I are pleased to see an overwhelming interest in joining the various team leads to make this plan a resounding success.

“

– Capt. Aaron S. Peters Commanding Officer

June marks the start of the Summer recreational season.

I enjoy boating and BBQing as much as anyone, but I think it is important to recognize that summertime activities put us at risk for accidents. The majority of these accidents resulted from car accidents and water sport mishaps. Through simple risk identification and mitigation steps we can save lives and reduce injuries. Safety must be a priority and an ever-present standard, both on and off duty.

“ “

Stay safe, keep charging, share what you know, and win them all!

– Vice Adm. Thomas Moore Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command

June is also the start of hurricane season, and if you were here last October, you know it is not something to be taken lightly. For the fifth year in a row, hurricane activity began before the official start of the season when Subtropical storm Andrea formed May 20. This year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is predicting between nine and 15 storms and as many as eight hurricanes. Do what you can to prepare now.

This month’s edition of the Coastal Compass will recap the Secretary of the Navy’s visit to NSWC PCD and the results of this years’ Director’s Cup. Not only did the teams work hard to find a technical solution to a realistic problem, we had the highest attendance from the NSWC PCD workforce ever at a Director’s Cup. We will also continue to explore the Strategic Campaign Plan and the objectives nested under the goals. Both the Technical Director and I are pleased to see an overwhelming interest in joining the various team leads to make this plan a resounding success.

In the words of Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Adm. Thomas Moore “Stay safe, keep charging, share what you know, and win them all!”

4 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer Visits NSWC PCD. U.S. Navy photos by Anthony Powers

INFORMATION SECURITY PROGRAM

INFORMATION HIGHLIGHT DoD Policy DoDM 5200.01-V4

Controlled Unclassified Information

Technical

Data

Identification & Marking

Technical Data - Information used or adapted for use to design, engineer, produce, manufacture, operate, repair, overhaul, or reproduce military or space equipment, or technology concerning such equipment.

• Depar tment of Defense Components generating or responsible for technical documents must determine sensitivity and distribution availability and apply appropriate marking prior to primary distribution.

• If the technical data has military or space application and is export controlled, mark the document and each portion containing the data as “FOUO.” DoD’s Technical Data Statute (10 U.S.C. § 130, Authority to Withhold from Public Disclosure Certain Technical Data) satisfies criteria for FOUO under Exemption 3 of the Freedom of Information Act. • Apply export control warning notice, below, if applicable (DoDI 5230.24.)

• Apply applicable distribution statement to identify extent of availability for secondary distribution, release, and disclosure (DoDI 5230.24, Distribution Statements on Technical Documents.)

For Instructional Purposes Only WARNING - This document contains technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S.C., Sec 2751, et seq.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979 (Title 50, U.S.C., App. 2401 et seq.), as amended. Violations of these export laws are subject to severe criminal penalties. Disseminate in accordance with provisions of DoD Directive 5230.25.

June 2019 | 5

Director's Cup

2019 DIRECTOR’S CUP Course Layout – Roller Rink

COURSE LAYOUT Sponsor Logo

Start/ Finish Box

Rope or cones

Emcee / Judges / VIP Area

Tents

Spectator Area Tents

1 Wall Panel Removed

Navigation Test Event Procedure

3

Course Layout – The navigation course was set up in the outdoor roller hockey rink and included the entire enclosed course as area free to navigate. The start area was one of the faceoff circles (green) with the end point in the opposite faceoff circle (red). Each circle is approximately 15 feet in diameter and permanently marked on the course. There were a variety of clutter objects set up in the rink.

A tripod with an ARTag (a marker system to support augmented reality used to facilitate the appearance of virtual objects, games, and animations within the real world) was set up at the center of the end circle to aid in ease of navigation.

Staging – The teams placed the robot in the center of the starting circle. Once staged, the team and observers exited the rink.

Starting – Once the team indicated they were ready to start, they were allowed to remotely start the vehicle; however, once the vehicle began to move, all team members were not able to touch any equipment with the exception of a kill mechanism if present.

Timing – Time was measured from when the vehicle first starts to move. Time was measured via stopwatch.

6 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

ABOUT/RULES

NSWC Panama City Division’s 2019 Director’s Cup was held March 22. This is the third Technical Competition between the three teams representing A, E, and X departments. The event involved a competition between the teams’ high-performing engineers, all who have less than 10 years experience on base. The stakes are high as they race to complete the technical tasks within the time allowed.

The Director’s Cup competition challenges NSWC PCD department teams to design, develop, and demonstrate fully autonomous vehicles that can navigate a cluttered scene and detect, classify, and neutralize enemy sniper targets all without any human intervention. The focus of this competition is the application and development of state-of-the-art machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to achieve these goals.

Design Objectives

Director's Cup

EIGHT JUDGES

TWO

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JUDGES

Each team was provided a Clearpath Robotics Jackal unmanned ground-based vehicle as a base platform that is capable of basic autonomous navigation. Teams needed to augment this platform with the sensors, hardware, and software to successfully compete in all the events described in the Director’s Cup Rules. The competitions give teams the chance to prove both their creativity and engineering skills in comparison to the other departments in a fun and friendly competitive environment.

3 VEHICLES

The designs were required to have performance in terms of navigational accuracy, discriminability, and neutralization accuracy and be sufficiently durable to successfully complete all the Director's Cup events. The vehicles were required to be fully autonomous with the addition of the developed autonomy software package.

SEVEN

Judging Categories

Localization, Identification, and Neutralization Event

The vehicles were judged in a series of static and dynamic events including: The Localization, Identification, and Test readiness review, developmental Neutralization Event measured the testing, and early operational assessment. vehicle’s ability to autonomously navigate an urban environment, find sniper targets, The following points were possible and neutralize targets via an onboard (maximum) for the overall competition: shooting mechanism. The total number of targets in the area, denoted by an "x", were Test Readiness Review: not available to the teams before the event • Presentation 100 began.

• Design/Test Readiness Report 100 The Localization, Identification, and Developmental Testing: Neutralization Event were scored as follows • Navigation 100 (400 pts available): • Discriminability 100 • Shooting Accuracy 100 Base Points: • 300/x-pts. Successfully neutralize a Early Operational Assessment target.

(Competition): • 20-pt. deduction per distractor hit.

• Neutralization 400 • 10-pt. deduction per obstacle hit with • Counter-UGV 100 vehicle.

• 5-pt. deduction per shot fired over 10 Neutralization Test Event rounds per target.

The neutralization test event evaluated the platform’s ability to accurately fire standard Bonus Points: Nerf darts/rounds.

• 100-pts. – First team to successfully neutralize all x targets and reach the For a single shot, points were awarded by finish in the shortest time. the following: • 75-pts. – Second team to successfully neutralize all x targets and stop in the • 5-pts. – Hit the target anywhere. second shortest time.

• 2-bonus-pts. – Hit the intermediate • 50-pts. – Third team to successfully circle. neutralize all x targets and stop in the • 5-bonus-pts. – Hit the center circle. third shortest time.

Scoring was either determined by two judges in agreement, reactive target, or high-speed camera.

JUDGED EVENTS

6K+

LABOR HOURS

17 TEAM

PARTICIPANTS

400+

AUDIENCE SUPPORT

ONE

WINNER June 2019 | 7

Director's Cup

X DEPARTMENT Dominates Competition, Wins 2019 Director's Cup

U.S. Navy photos by Eddie Green

By Ashley Conner, NSWC PCD Public Affairs

PANAMA CITY, Fla – The Science and Technology Department was named the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) 2019 Director’s Cup champions May 22.

Friendly rivalries led to professional friendships during the off hours which The biennial competition challenges each NSWC PCD technical department team to create and field a fully led to professional collaborations during autonomous, artificially intelligent, ground-based vehicle to neutralize a dangerous battlespace. the working day.

The first Director’s Cup was held in 2015 and stemmed from a desire to facilitate working relationships I created Director’s among new professionals.

Cup to accomplish “All of the teams put in a tremendous amount of work to create designs,” said Ed Stewart (SES), NSWC PCD technical director. “In the end, it was the X Department who accumulated enough points to take home the trophy.”

“Many years ago when I began working at the Naval Sea Combat Systems Engineering Station in Norfolk, Virginia, several of us got together and started up inter-departmental softball and basketball leagues,” said Stewart. “Friendly rivalries led to professional friendships during the off hours, which led to professional collaborations during the working day. I created Director’s Cup to accomplish that same objective—to facilitate 2015 connecting our new professions across the Command; and to build relationships that will last a lifetime and lead to collaborations in real work scenarios for real, paying customers.”

that same objective.

– Ed Stewart (SES) Technical Director NSWC PCD

This year’s event scenario was a Marine Corps inspired counter sniper mission, where the vehicles explored a cluttered scene, identified enemy snipers from various non-targets in the area, and neutralized via an onboard shooting mechanism. The ammunition for each team’s neutralizer were standard Nerf balls. All vehicle tasks were autonomous with no human intervention, and the competition decided which team could field the unmanned system that is most effective at clearing the battlefield area.

“Director’s Cup is much more than the day of the competition,” said Stewart. “For more than a year, each of the teams have been getting hands-on engineering design and development experience and, at the same time, gaining valuable project management and systems engineering experience using processes and tools that we have been promulgating through the PCD competency construct.”

8 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

LEAD Spotlight

Director's Cup

WITH DIRECTOR'S CUP LEADS

Dr. Darshan Bryner and Amanda Bobe

Dr. Darshan Bryner

Head, Advanced Signal Processing and Automatic Target Recognition Branch Code X23 2019 Director’s Cup Project Lead

My favorite part of leading the 2019 Director's Cup has been watching the teams rise to the challenge of such a difficult competition. When initially visualizing the competition as one that requires the teams to build a fully-autonomous system that integrates several complex and cutting edge machine learning/artificial intelligence based techniques, I was concerned that fielding a functioning system would be nearly impossible within the time frame of the competition.

The technical capability and innovation that each team has shown me in learning new skills and building their vehicles has been nothing short of remarkable. It's a reminder to set our sights high as a technical organization - that what may seem impossible in fact is possible with the technology available today and our talent at NSWC PCD.

I would like to thank Mr. Stewart for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to lead such a fun, complex, and high visibility project this early in my career. He has really pushed me out of my comfort zone to learn new skills and grow as a technical leader within the organization.

– Darshan Brynar Director's Cup Lead

Having never managed or even been involved in an engineering project, such as Director's Cup before, I have learned a tremendous amount from my first role being a leadership role. Aside from all the system engineering processes that we adhere to in government development of a prototype, I think the most valuable things I have learned are (1) the simplest solution that satisfies the requirements is usually the best one, and (2) to have confidence in executing your vision as a leader.

My advice to any future participants would be to treat this project as you would any other - to take pride in it, commit yourself to the process, and dedicate a significant amount of time to it in order to get the most out of it. Also, keep open lines of communication with your management and your other project lead(s) so that they can help you carve out the time required for it.

I would like to thank Mr. Stewart for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to lead such a fun, complex, and high visibility project this early in my career. This opportunity has pushed me out of my comfort zone to learn new skills and grow as a technical leader within the organization.

Amanda Bobe

Senior Systems Test Engineer, Science and Technology Department 2019 Director’s Cup Test Director There are so many parts to orchestrating the 2019 Director's Cup that I have enjoyed. My favorite part is somewhere between all the creativity and getting to see the teams interact: helping each other learn and competing.

Being part of this process has reminded me that when something is out of your wheelhouse, buckle down and learn. There is an opportunity to excel at something new.

My advice for anyone wanting to be involved in the next Director’s Cup is to be ready and expect the unexpected.

“

When something is out of your wheelhouse, buckle down and learn.

– Amanda Bobe Director's Cup Test Director

“

U.S. Navy photos by Ron Newsome

June 2019 | 9

Director's Cup

CODE A Kyler Hast Team Mentor Mechanical Engineer Jordan Bolduc Electrical Engineer

Phillip Cederstrom Computer Engineer

AM1(AW/SW) Christopher Robbins, USN Mechanical Engineer

Brandon Sheffield Software Engineer

Join us at NSWC PCD’s second Technical Competition between the three teams representing A, E and X departments.

The event involves a competition between the teams’ high-performing engineers, all who have less than 10 years experience on base. The stakes are high as they race to complete the technical tasks within a time limit.

10 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Director's Cup

Zed Stereo camera.

Used for object detection and classification.

Nerf Rival Nemesis

Nerf projectiles.

Fired at Identified “threats”/targets.

NERF Rival Nemesis. Modified physically for competition purposes.

ScorpionX MX-64 Turret. Used for aiming of NERF gun/Stereo camera.

Arbotix-M MCU

SICK LMS-111 LIDAR. Used for Navigation and Mapping capabilities.

Brackets for Mounting the LIDAR, Turret, and Stereo Camera were fabricated by the team.

ABOUT

• Navigates unexplored areas with SLAM • ORB detection algorithm • Open Systems Architecture for additional payload integration • Voice control • Plays Terminator sound clips June 2019 | 11

Director's Cup

CODE E E-LITES

Tyler Hoover Civil Engineer

Paul Drensek Mechanical Engineer

12 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Blake Ivy Mentor Mechanical Engineer AE1(AW) David Hartmon, USN Electrician

Randy Martin Electrical Engineer

David Swedberg Mechanical Engineer

Director's Cup Nerf Nemesis blaster core.

High-firing rate; beltfed. Custom sensor integrated to detect when ball is loaded and fired.

Tilt structure

Pan structure operated by Dynamixel MX64T.

High gain antennae

Blaster housing in custom 3D printed body. Material is PET-G for strength and flexibility over more common PLA 3D printing materials.

3D printed pillars house the tilt servos, Dynamixel MX-28Ts provide 0.088 degrees of rotation resolution.

Velodyne LIDAR. Used in commercial autonomous vehicles.

Used to sense distance to surrounding objects / boundaries.

ABOUT

About the software used: • ROS • DIGITS • Dynamixel Servos • ZED Stereo cameras

June 2019 | 13

Director's Cup

CODE X Ben McLaughlin Engineer AD1(AW/SW) Hyun Parks, USN Aviation

Dr. Patrick Walters Electronics Engineer Team Mentor

Allison Price Engineer

14 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Matthew Emigh Engineer

Joseph "JD" Walsh Engineer

Director's Cup Smart pan and tilt unit for improved neutralizer aiming.

Large capacity hopper for neutralization rounds to fire at enemy targets.

Wireless antennas used for remote command and control.

Custom neutralization mechanism built using additive manufacturing.

It precision fires one or more neutralization rounds.

The brushless motors with closed loop velocity control give us the ability to customize the trajectory of each shot.

Outdoor rated LIDAR primarily used for obstacle avoidance and situation awareness.

Machine vision camera used for target classification and real-time shot tracking.

ABOUT

About the software used: Our team used the Robot Operating System architecture to create new autonomy nodes, as well as modify and utilize pre-existing packages.

More details: Two Jetson Xavier embedded computers divided the workload of navigation and classification tasks so that they do not compete for resources on a single board.

June 2019 | 15

Director's Cup

2019 WINNERS

CODE X DINGO'S REVENGE

2ND PLACE

CODE A EX-TERMINATORS

3RD PLACE

CODE E E-LITES

U.S. Navy photos by Eddie Green 16 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

EVENT RECAP

Director's Cup

SCORING TOTALS

CODE X - 565

Presentation: 86 Main Event: 120 Counter-UGV Event: 100

CODE A - 501

Presentation: 88 Main Event: 50 Counter-UGV Event: 100

CODE E - 430

Presentation: 86 Main Event: 60 Counter-UGV Event: 75

U.S. Navy photos by Eddie Green June 2019 | 17

Director's Cup

EVENT RECAP

SOCIALMEDIACHATTER

It's #Director'sCup competition day at #nswcpcd! I can't wait to see all #TeamX fans wearing blue! #XDeptDingosRevenge #nswcpcddirectorscup

Thanks for coming out to support Director's Cup! Congratulations to X Department for the impressive win. Thanks to all the Teams for their hard work and dedication, and for the innovative thinking that went into your hardware and software design and development.

Thanks to CAPT Peters and Ashley Johnson (NSWC IHEOD TD) for serving with me as Judges. Thanks to all our interns who helped us with the scoring, and for hanging in there through the heat. Thanks to Darshan Bryner and Amanda Bobe for their leadership. Thanks to the XO and PAO for coordinating and emceeing the event. Well done!

So the Director's Cup votes are in, so Hail to the Victorious X Dept!

To all participants, let's do a hot wash soon and start planning the next event.

Speaking of next events, the challenge is on for NSWC Crane and Indian Head! It's time for Director's Cup to expand to cross-Division competition and collaboration. Game on! #nswcpcd #nswcpcddirectorscup

Very proud of the #TeamA as well as all the other participants. We'll get you next time!

Oh, and for one last bit of trash talking...E Dept, consider your UGV EX-TERMINATED and X Dept...smart choice sitting on the lead and hiding from the EXTERMINATOR :-)

I'm so proud of our X Department Director's Cup team, in the lead after all the preliminary events. Our SME @pwalters even helped out Team E today. #oneteam Can't wait to see the big competition tomorrow.

Stay cool in BLUE! @amholt @mattemigh @jdwalsh03 @bmclaughlin Killing It! #directorscup #nswcpcd #teamx

All teams performed great at today's Director's Cup. Congratulations to all for their hard work.

But X was "X-tra" special. Way to go X! #directorscup #nswcpcd #teamx

#TeamA #nswcpcddirectorscup #ModelOrganization #workforcedevelopment #littoralbattlespace #WarfightingDominance

Big congrats to X Dept Team! #XDeptDingosRevenge carried the threeday competition. Interesting designs for each team: X Dept solid overall design and flawless object recognition; A Dept impressive shooting power; E Dept love the twin cannon design and machine gun burst.

Favorite part was seeing the crowd dive for cover when guns were trained on audience members - note to self don't dress like a nerf gun at next year's competition.

DId you miss the #NSWCPCD 2019 Director's Cup competition yesterday?

No worries! Check out the links and photos below.

Friend or Foe? Unmanned robots compete in navy's 'Director's Cup' https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/friend-or-foe-unmanned-robotscompete-in-navy-s-director-s-cup-/2019740282 #NSWCPCDDirectorsCup #WarfightingDominance #LittoralBattlespace #DirectorsCup @dwbryner @abobe

18 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Good to meet up with Avery Pratt. He'll be taking lessons learned back to #nswccrane for their own event.

Someone get #RayKurzweil on the phone - the singularity is near! #machinelearning #artificialintelligence #autonomy

NSWC Panama City

INCREASES CAPABILITY WITH

3D Metal Printer

By Katherine Mapp, NSWC PCD Public Affairs PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The Additive Manufacturing Laboratory (AML) at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) is taking 3-dimensional (3D) printing one step further in leading innovation through the recent addition of 3D metal printing technology.

Chuck Self, NSWC PCD AML head, said the addition of the metal 3D printer is a big step for NSWC PCD to rapidly deliver solutions to ensure warfighting dominance by allowing parts and prototypes to be produced efficiently and repeated accurately in a timely manner.

“There are many advantages to having access to a metal 3D printer. Major advantages include reduction in time to complete prints, reproducibility, and the complexity of parts available for print,” said Self. “NSWC PCD’s goal is to produce efficient and quality products to the warfighter, and this printer will allow our engineers and scientists to create strong and complex products in a shorter time frame.”

The printer is an EOS M290 Direct Metal Laser Sintering machine, which produces fully dense, complex and accurate parts. The parts are built layer by layer using a 400-Watt laser in a nitrogen atmosphere on a bed of powdered metal. The system can produce small and complex parts or parts as large as the print bed.

Halie Cameron, NSWC PCD mechanical engineer said the printer was obtained in order to increase capabilities in fiscal year 18.

“The printer is capable of building highly complex geometries that are unable to be fabricated by traditional machining. A benefit of the printer is part reduction, by combining parts that would have been fabricated separately with traditional machining,” said Cameron. “As the capabilities grow, metal 3D printers will likely become irreplaceable.”

The metal 3D printer allows users to create parts that may not be easily and affordably machined via traditional methods, but may be perfect candidates for metal additive manufacturing Nicole Waters, NSWC PCD machine shops project manager, said the addition of the 3D metal printer allows NSWC PCD to effectively create a collaboration and innovation network internal to our base regarding 3D printing.

“Having the metal 3D printer in-house at NSWC PCD allows us to make parts that are customizable to the customer’s needs vice lengthy ordering lead times,” said Waters. “This gives our scientists and engineers the opportunity to work one on one with the AML personnel to get their product built exactly the way they want. We encourage the One Team motto in the AML and want to create the highest quality parts for our Fleet projects and research prototypes.”

If you have any questions, please contact the AML team at any time. If it is determined that metal 3D printing may not work for your project, other printing options are available as well.

U.S. Navy photos by Eddie Green June 2019 | 19

Workforce Connection

Welcome ABOARD

Calendar of

EVENTS JUNE Indoor Volley Ball League

Beginning in June.

For more details, contact the Gym at 850-235-4589.

U.S. Navy photo by Eddie Green

CODE A

Isaac Guettler Lacy Parker

A23 A32

CODE E

Nicole Newsome Omar O’Farrill Catherine O'Rourk

E12

CODE 10

Andrew McCalla Edward Quinones

1053 1051

N S W C PA N A M A C I T Y D I V I S I O N

SAILOR OF THE

Quarter 2nd Q uarter 2019 Navy Diver 1st Class Joseph Rodriguez PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Commanding Officer Capt. Aaron Peters of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) selected Petty Officer First Class Joseph Rodriguez as Sailor of the Quarter, Second Quarter 2019.

“Petty Officer Rodriguez 's exceptional motivation and performance as Leading Petty Officer was evident as he meticulously planned and executed the movement of 3,000 pounds of Diver Life Support System equipment and a full military dive team of eight personnel to and from Saipan, recovering three 2,000-pound VS-18 bombs. His expertise in deliberate risk assessment contributed to becoming the third and only dive team to successfully accomplish the mission in demanding conditions.”

6 6 8 8 14 20 28

Outdoor Movie - "How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World" Time: Dusk Location: MWR Marina Pavilion

Panama City Beach Summer Concert Series

Location: Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater Every Thursday night For more information, visit:

https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/events/ concerts-music-festivals-parades/summerconcert-series/

National Marina Day Time: 11 a.m - 3 p.m.

Location: MWR Marina

Dive in Movie - "Small Foot" Time: 7:45 p.m.

Location: MWR Pool

Dive in Movie "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" Time: 7: 45 p.m.

Location: MWR Pool

Naval Support Activity Strong Man/ Strong Woman Competition Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: MWR Fitness Center For more information call 235-5489

Independence Day Celebration Time: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Featuring Live Music by Heritage and Fireworks at Dark

Cardboard Boat Regatta Entries for Independence Day Celebration Entries registered by June 27, 9 p.m.

To sign up, call: 850-234-4347

20 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Panama City Engineer

selected as southeast regional Coordinator

By Katherine Mapp, NSWC PCD Public Affairs

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Paige George, mechanical engineer at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), has recently been selected to represent the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) as the Southeast Regional Coordinator.

“

“The Southeast is such an important region in the FLC. The technology community is still working hard, even after Hurricane I want to make sure that Michael devastated the area,” said George. “I want to make sure our community continues that our community continues to have a strong presence among the Labs and that our technology transfer (T2) opportunities can to have a strong presence Federal be shared with everyone.” among the Federal Labs and that our technology George’s main responsibilities will be to coordinate T2 activities in the Southeast region, which transfer (T2) opportunities includes Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, can be shared with and Louisiana. In addition, she will be responsible for ensuring all federal labs in the Southeast region everyone. have the tools they need to transfer technology.

“

– Paige George Mechanical Engineer NSWC PCD

Currently, George is the NSWC PCD science, technology engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, outreach programs manger. In this role, George negotiates Education Partnership Agreements (EPA) and works alongside NSWC PCD’s office of research and technology applications (ORTA) and legal offices on various T2 projects in the community. Paige said that the STEM outreach and T2 programs work hand-in-hand in and are involved in shaping how the lab interacts outside of the federal enterprise.

“Under T2 and STEM outreach, the lab collaborates and partners with non-federal entities like industry and academia through EPAs and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, or CRADAs,” said George. “This allows us to rapidly develop cutting edge technology to support the mission of lab, while also supporting the local and national economy by being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

George will begin serving a two-year term at the beginning of the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The FLC is a nationwide network of approximately 300 federal laboratories, centers, parent departments, and agencies that establishes strategies and opportunities for linking laboratory mission technologies and expertise with the marketplace.

Month of the Military Diver PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Jim Perkins, NSWC Panama City Division scientist, presents the Dive Buddy Remotely Operated Vehicle to a group of students during the 2019 Month of the Military Diver event held at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center May 17.

U.S. Navy photo by Anthony Powers

June 2019 | 21

People of

PANAMA CITY with Darryl Updegrove

My name is Darryl and I have served at NSWC PCD for 25 years. As the Head of the Platform Integration Branch, my primary focus is integrating the Mine Countermeasures Mission Package (MCM MP) onto the Littoral Combat Ship.

In my role, I am responsible for setting performance objectives for the employees in my branch, evaluating performance throughout the year with special emphasis on mid-year and end-of-year reviews. I am also a mentor and participate in recruiting and hiring.

“

I participate in Naval Innovative Science and Engineering proposal development and execution, collaborating with other Warfare Centers. I perform the duties of technical point of contact for Small Business Innovation Research proposals to rapidly develop and deliver solutions to the warfighter.

“

In support of NSWC PCD’s strategic goal #2 of being the undisputed technical expert throughout the littoral battlespace, I ensure our employees are trained, knowledgeable, capable, and motivated. I participate in Naval Innovative Science and Engineering proposal development and execution, collaborating with other Warfare Centers. I perform the duties of technical point of contact for Small Business Innovation Research proposals to rapidly develop and deliver solutions to the warfighter.

U.S. Navy photo by Katherine Mapp

What I enjoy most about my role is the ability to interface with employees at all levels – from potential recruits and new hires, to senior management, sponsors, and technical warrant holders. Communication is obviously a key aspect of the position, and that is something I enjoy immensely.

I grew up in Pennsylvania about an hour outside of Philadelphia with a large concentration of Pennsylvania Dutch (German emigrants), which is my primary heritage.

Something most people don’t know about me is that I enjoy reading about history and outdoor adventurers, bicycling, running, and hiking. I am a musician and play the electric bass in our praise band at church.

I serve as the chairperson for the Panhandle chapter (one of 19 chapters) of the Florida Trail Association (FTA).

The FTA is a non-profit organization that maintains the approximately 1,100 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail.

I have been certified by the U.S. Forest Service to use a chainsaw on the Florida Trail, and am the activities – Darryl Updegrove chair, overseeing all non-maintenance hiking events that our chapter leads. I was recently elected as an atPlatform Integration Branch large Director on the FTA Board of Directors, serving for the next three years.

Head

FIAR

Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness

DID YOU KNOW? There is a General Equipment Tool that tracks assets in

your possession. You can update location, transfer to another custodian, and verify all assets in your name.

Go to the link below: https://www.dd.csd.disa.mil/cgi-bin/My_PPE/Launch.pl 22 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Every step of the way, people every day throughout the U.S. Navy are involved in the data that is produced, entered into systems, reported on, and used to make the decisions that enable the U.S. Navy to achieve its mission.

Utilizing this tool regularly will assist our Command in preparing for a future site visits by independent public auditors.

Please email the General Equipment Office with any questions: PNMA.NSWCPCD_PP&E@navy.mil

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer Visits NSWC PCD

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer, toured Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) May 10. During his tour, he was briefed on various aspects of mine warfare research, development, test, and evaluation that are conducted at NSWC PCD.

U.S. Navy photos by Anthony Powers

Civilian

LENGTH OF SERVICE

40 35

Edward F. Downs, Jr.

Thomas Frederick R. Bruce Potemken Frank Skerratt Kevin Venturella

30

Ray Baggett Zena Le Iris Paustian Michael Shepherd

15

Mark Cucchi Stephen Peffers

UPCOMING AWARDS JUNE 2019

10

Kevin Barron Jason Bennett Anthony Bleichner Richard Bodine John Carlin Matthew Edminster Mary Kathryn Murphy Handal Stephen L. Hoyer Jean-Francois Kamath Lyssa Malvoso

Patrick Malvoso David Mercer Joshua Slaughter Andrew Stubblefield David Vaught Adam Vickers Wayne Vickers Peter Walker Jesse Waymire

• Program Executive Office William H. Neiger Fleet Readiness Excellence Award

05

Robert Gudgel Jaehoon Lee Steven Meyer Joseph Rienzo Jesse Routh Fredric Strynar Kurobuboka Tamunoitekena

• Younger Federal Lawyer Awards • National Medal of Science Award

June 2019 | 23

COLLABORATION

CORNER

#CollaboratorofChoice

Courtesy Photo

Education Partnership Agreements are the vehicle we use to perform Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or STEM, Outreach and encourage collaboration between laboratories and academia on laboratory projects. The purpose of entering into an EPA is to encourage and enhance studies in scientific disciplines at all levels of education.

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) currently holds EPAs with: • Bay District Schools • Gulf Coast State College • Florida State University Panama City • Vanderbilt University • Florida Atlantic University • Auburn University • Science and Discovery Center of Northwest Florida Under EPAs, NSWC PCD can: • Loan lab equipment • Transfer surplus equipment • Make lab personnel available to teach courses • Provide sabbatical opportunities for professors and internships for students • Involve faculty and students in laboratory projects • Work with universities to develop programs through which students receive academic credit for their work with the lab • Provide academic and career advice to students

NSWC PCD Dive Locker Team recognized for support to

VALIANT SHIELD 18

By Susan H. Lawson, NSWC PCD Public Affairs PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command Warfare Centers Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage, presented a letter of appreciation to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD.) The team was awarded for their superior performance and assistance following Valiant Shield 2018, a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command biennial field training exercise during an All Hands May 1.

The dive team played an important role off the coast of Farallon de Medinilla Island, a part of the Marianas Islands Range Complex north of Saipan.

“Our Dive team does amazing work in support of our research and development efforts to improve lethality of the Fleet,” said NSWC PCD Commanding Officer Capt. Aaron Peters.

“It is encouraging that when the Fleet needs immediate support that our teams are the first to get the call and be able to do what needs to be done.”

In an appreciation letter penned by Director, Requirements and Resources, George Ka’Iliwai III (SES), recognized Master Chief Navy Diver Chuck Foster, Chief Navy Diver Christopher Coreil, Navy Diver 1st Class Blake Flohre, Navy Diver 1st Class Tommy Blyth, Navy Diver 1st Class Logan Dillenburger, Navy Diver 1st Class Cody Levens, Equipment Operator 1st Class Joey Rodriguez, Navy Diver 2nd Class Andrew Carstarphen, and Navy Experimental Dive Unit, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Tom Hobbs.

U.S. Navy photo by Eddie Green

24 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

Lean In

Anniversary

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) celebrated the 1-year anniversary of the establishment of Lean In circles May 17.

“The NSWC PCD Lean In initiative started after the inaugural Leadership in a Diverse Environment Event (LDEE 1) held in November 2017,” said Robbie Kurth, Lean In point of contact and Explosives Safety Specialist at NSWC PCD. “The event included a breakout session to ‘practice’ how to conduct a Lean In Circle, which was a great experience. We knew that we needed to do this at our division.”

By Ashley Conner NSWC PCD Public Affairs

When the group began, 74 employees were formed into five Lean In Circles.

Due to their success, three new Lean In Circles have recently been formed specifically for our New Professionals. Shortly after Hurricane Michael pummeled Panama City in October 2018, two additional resiliency focus groups were formed, not guided by the Lean In book by Sheryl Sandberg, but rather to provide the same sort of support and mentorship for those facing challenges with their hurricane recovery.

“The ultimate goal of the effort is to foster a diverse and inclusive work force, and empower our employees to manage their career progression and work-life balance. We also see opportunities to help leadership by identifying opportunities for positive changes for our workforce,” said Kurth.

“The recent installation of Mamava nursing pods came from a Lean In Circle suggestion.”

The Lean In Circle facilitators conducted introductory and mid-point surveys, which revealed that some members had taken steps to further their careers, that they attributed to their Circle experience. Others commented that the Circles had enabled them to find valuable new mentors.

Kurth and the Lean In facilitators saw an interest in the Lean In Circles from New Professionals (NPs) that have recently begun their careers at NSWC PCD, and arranged for three new dedicated NP groups to begin.

U.S. Navy photos by Eddie Green

NSWC PCD

DAWIA Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act

Monthly DAWIA Achievements: individuals who have completed their DAWIA Certification requirements in the last reporting period.

“By joining the Lean In Circle, I feel that I’ve gained a forum where you can think inwardly, discover how you personally feel, and how others feel about a variety of topics that are not generally discussed in your day-to-day conversations, but are topics that effect your day-to-day actions,” said Halie Cameron, Expeditionary and Maritime Systems test director. “I believe the Lean In Circles allow for voices to be heard, and that is no small thing.

When given the chance to voice opinions and collaborate with a group of supportive individuals, great things can be accomplished.”

Congrats to our NSWC PCD employees for completing their DAWIA requirements this month.

Halie Cameron Sascha Dastgerdi Gerry Deforge Peter Frye Curtis Gilbert Gordon Griffith Virginia Howe Richard Leopold

Rose Larry Sean Macri Jeannie Millaway Michael Overend Kevin Powell Bryon Timbs Jeffrey Wit

DAWIA Program Manager: 850-230-7913 June 2019 | 25

Lifestyle

WHY I WORK HERE

By Susan H. Lawson, NSWC PCD Public Affairs

DAVE WILBANKS

Senior Mechanical Engineer Date hired: In 1991, the Base Realignment and

Closure Commission closed the White Oak Naval Surface Warfare Center and gave us four choices to relocate. I heard a rumor that Florida was one of the choices and I said that’s where I’m going. I reported to the Coastal System Center, now NSWC Panama City Division, in February 1995, just in time for Hurricane Opal.

Hometown: I was born in Chatsworth, Georgia, lived

in Baltimore, Maryland for 32 years, and have lived in Panama City, Florida for 24 years.

U.S. Navy photo by Ron Newsome

How you came to be a Warfare Center employee:

I began my engineering carrier at the Naval Surface Weapons Center in White Oak, Maryland, just outside the Washington, D.C. beltway, as a co-operative student in 1982. The Mark 60 Encapsulated Torpedo Mine Program was in the final design and testing phase. I was told by my college recruiter that I would probably have extensive travel time in Hawaii, so I said sign me up!

What you like best about working at NSWC PCD:

Education: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Maryland, College Park, 1984.

How your work contributes to the overall mission of the Warfare Center:

In the Mine Warfare Systems Development Division, our mission is to take the complex needs of the warfighter and turn them into reality to provide new capabilities. I help design and analyze components for new mine warfare systems that give our sailors the edge they need. By supporting the rapid development of prototype systems for the Office of Naval Research, I enable accelerated fielding of new mine warfare systems to the Fleet.

At NSWC Panama City Division, we have the freedom to pursue the kind of work we like the most then the boss doesn’t have to find work for us that is not motivating. As a mechanical engineer, I like design and 3D modeling using SolidWorks Computer Aided Design and Simulation (FEA), and although stressful at times, I find great satisfaction looking back to see what I’ve accomplished.

For instance, I had the privilege to work as a member of the team that designed the Panama City Mine Roller System (PCMRS), Generation I and II – a system used in Operation Iraqi Freedom to neutralize Road Side Bombs/Improvised Explosive Devices (RSB/ IED’s) - the leading cause of death among our great warfighters.

Pivotal career moments/experiences: As a member

Specifically, I designed and developed several WheelBank configurations and vehicle adaptors for various sized combat vehicles and missions using SolidWorks computer aided design and simulation. This served as the primary Mechanism of Operation for the PCMRS. I find great fulfillment in knowing many lives were saved as a result of my efforts.

Career advice: We all have to work, yet life is too short to do things we don’t enjoy. My advice is to put forth the necessary effort needed until you find the kind of work that satisfies so that you look forward to coming to work each day.

26 | Coastal Compass | NSWC Panama City Division

of the PCMRS team, I had access to reports listing the weekly number of IED’s neutralized by the Mine Roller, but the greatest satisfaction of my career was knowing my efforts contributed to saving many warfighter lives.

Hobbies/personal interests: I enjoy the little things in

life like picking oranges for breakfast and then relaxing in my backyard surrounded by a tropical setting. One of my hobbies is ballroom dancing with my wife. I also enjoy spending time with my two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter.

Lifestyle

SAFETY

Prepared by Pat Beacom, NSWC Safety Specialist, Contributing Writer

BE PREPARED FOR THE UNPREDICTABLE Disasters come in all shapes and sizes – and often when you least expect them. By knowing what types of tragedies can occur, you can be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

Flames emit carbon monoxide, which is FIRES odorless, colorless and tasteless, and can cause immediate unconsciousness. Take preventative action by installing smoke alarms on every floor of the building, testing them regularly, and practicing escape plans.

NATURAL DISASTER Mother Nature has her way of surprising us with earthquakes,

In only a matter of minutes, a small fire can rage out of control, with temperatures reaching up to

1,500

DEGREES

hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. It’s important to be prepared, as help may not be immediately available. If you’re faced with a weather-based emergency, determine the safest course of action and stay upto-date on weather reports. Always have an emergency kit ready with at least 72 hours worth of food and water, and know the proper drills for disasters most common in your geographic area.

Workforce Development

threat of violence in the workplace is very WORKPLACE The real. According to OSHA, nearly two million VIOLENCE American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year – including verbal abuse, physical assault, and even homicide. Every worker has a right to feel safe.

Help prevent workplace violence by establishing a zero tolerance policy and prevention program, and assessing worksites for risk factors (working late, by yourself, in unsafe areas, etc.).

leaks, chemical spills, and strange odors HAZARDOUS Gas can occur at any time, and can potentially be • June 6 Federal Employment MATERIALS very dangerous. If you suspect a leak or spill of

Retirement System Retirement any kind, remember the E.S.C.A.P.E. acronym: exit the area, secure the area, call 911, assess the situation, pull the fire alarm, and exit the building. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

AT HOME

Disasters aren’t limited to the workplace.

Though any of the above dangers can have devastating impact on your home.

• Identify potential fire risks in your home, such as frayed wiring, candles, appliances, and heating devices.

• Never leave food unattended on the stove, keep all matches and lighters out of the reach of children, and don’t place portable heaters near flammable materials.

• Plan and practice a family escape route, keeping everyone’s physical abilities in mind.

Seminar

• June 10 Red Hat Linux Operating

Systems Security Hardening • June 18 Microsoft Excel Data Analysis for

Engineers To register for classes that are open, visit:

http://navsea.navy.deps.mil/wc/supernma/Training/SitePages/ PCDU.aspx For more information, visit the Training page on iNAVSEA! PCD-U Onsite Training or PCD-U Peer Course Training

June 2019 | 27

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division

110 Vernon Avenue | Panama City, Florida 32407 (850) 230-7400 Distribution A - Approved for public release.