Al Simmons wins AFMC civil engineering award

  • Published
  • By Janae Daniels
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Al Simmons, deputy director of the 704th Civil Engineer Squadron, has been selected for the Air Force Materiel Command's outstanding Civil Engineering Individual Award for the Harry P. Rietman Senior Civilian  Manager Award. 

He will now go on to compete at the Air Force level. 

Simmons was recognized on multiple fronts but primarily for overcoming multiple Operations & Maintenance funding challenges and stretching Arnold Engineering Development Center's (AEDC) resources  to the limit in order to meet the mission. 

According to Lt. Col. Paul Schantz, 704th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) commander, Simmons' customer service is always a top priority by containing cost without compromising service or quality. 

For example, he managed more than 200 contract change orders to successfully complete the 2007 Civil Engineering investments program on time and within a significantly reduced  budget while accommodating more than 20 new project additions. 

"He drives successful civil engineering  projects through effective management of funding and manpower,"  said Colonel Schantz. "His goal-driven and mission-focused attitude  helps secure the center's future operations." 

Simmons inspired his squadron  to make great achievements such as increasing landfill diversion from two percent to 60 percent. He acquired 12 Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers and temporary lodging for AEDC's Fire Department upgrade spending $14,000 to save $200,000. 

Under his leadership CES saved $100,000 on construction through an alternate solution for the University of Tennessee Space Institute causeway erosion and avoiding $10,000 a year in maintenance costs. 

He advocated and obtained $1 million in funding to eliminate more than 400 safety deficiencies, making  AEDC's workplace safer than before. 

He oversaw modified water improvements  worth $500,000, reducing risk of spill contamination by more than 20 percent. He implemented  a new test control program with more than 3,000 tools with none missing and no foreign object damage  to test systems. 

He managed multiple quality of life projects including the Mission Support Group corridor, the Base Civil Engineering shop, break and restrooms, security police lockers and kitchen, test group offices and the military family housing playground equipment. 

Simmons was a member of the team that developed the first contract performance measures that were the forerunners of the current award fee metrics employed to evaluate performance on the center operating contracts. 

Simmons has worked at AEDC since 1969 except for a three-year stint in the early 1970s when he worked as a designer and stress analyst at MicroCraft in Tullahoma. He is active in his community as well, teaching the adult Sunday school class at Southside Church of Christ in Shelbyville and currently serving as president of the Bedford County Historical Society. He also has officiated  high school football in middle Tennessee for the past 38 years, officiating  the state finals in 2005. 

The Harry P. Rietman award is an annual award that honors its namesake who served as the Air Force Associate Director of Engineering and Services from 1972 to 1985. He is known as the father of the Civil Engineering Civilian Career Program,  and recognizes the superior job performance of Air Force civilian civil engineering personnel.