Defense Maintenance Personnel Honored at Record‑Setting DoD Symposium

The 2010 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition, administered by SAE International, set a new attendance record and convened senior leaders and maintenance experts from across the DoD and the commercial sector to explore advances in maintenance, technology, and sustainment operations.

Held from November 15‑18 in Tampa, Fla., the symposium welcomed 1,595 registrants—a 14 % increase over 2009 and the highest figure in the event’s history.

Keynote speakers included the Honorable Frank Kendall, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; James Roy, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force; and Andy Hove, Executive Vice President and President, Defense, Oshkosh Corporation. Gary J. Motsek, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Program Support), served as the event’s chairman.

The program also featured a “Senior Logisticians’ Roundtable,” a live Q&A session where attendees posed questions on maintenance to senior military logisticians from the services, the Joint Staff, and major Defense agencies.

During the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards Banquet, hosted by Alan Estevez, Principal Deputy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, the DoD’s most prestigious maintenance honors were presented, including:

• The Phoenix Trophy, awarded to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40 as the top maintenance unit of the year.
• The Robert T. Mason Award for Depot Maintenance and Excellence, given to the Emergent Repair Program at Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
• The Great Ideas Competition, where six finalists showcased innovative technologies and processes; Ken Anderson and Bryan Steadmen won with the Intermittent Fault Detection and Isolation System.
• Additional accolades such as the Great Ideas Competition winner and “Best in Show” Booth Awards.

The exhibition, featuring more than 170 exhibitors, also presented the “Best in Show” Booth Awards. Attendees voted on the most outstanding booths in two size categories—≤ 200 sq ft and > 200 sq ft—and senior logisticians selected the best military service displays. Winners were USMC – TMDE (≤ 200 sq ft), Big Ass Fans (> 200 sq ft), and USMC (military booth).

The 2011 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition will take place from November 14‑17 in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, including the 2011 Exhibit Prospectus, visit www.sae.org/dod.

SAE International is a global association of over 128,000 engineers and technical experts in aerospace, automotive, and commercial‑vehicle industries. Its core competencies are lifelong learning and voluntary consensus‑standards development. The SAE Foundation, its charitable arm, supports programs such as A World In Motion and the Collegiate Design Series.