KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. — The Defense Department recently recognized an Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center employee for outstanding product support management.

The 2018 Secretary of Defense Product Support Manager Award was awarded to Lynn Betts in the category of Major Defense Acquisition Programs (Acquisition Category I and Other Weapon Systems).

The award recognizes Betts’ product support efforts for the $83-billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, currently one of the Air Force’s largest acquisition programs.

Among his accomplishments, he completed a product support strategy that resulted in the award of GBSD contracts, valued at over $718 million, one month early and without a contractor protest. In addition, he led the GBSD program’s first-ever logistics health assessment and developed a requirements list that helped the chosen contractors’ gain a deep understanding of nuclear operations.

“This award represents the highest level of recognition for Lynn as an effective, motivated leader who gets superior results for cost reduction and cost avoidance initiatives,” said Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for strategic systems.

“Lynn has put GBSD on a path to bring the future faster for nuclear sustainment,” said Col. Jason Bartolomei, GBSD program manager. “The innovative thinking he and his team have brought into the program, including digital engineering and flexible system design, will reduce both acquisition redundancies and logistics footprints throughout the weapon system’s 50-year design life. The whole ICBM family is proud to see Lynn get the recognition he deserves.”