NAS assumes operations at AEDC

  • Published
  • By Bob Pullen
  • NAS Transition Communications Manager
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  As of 12:01 a.m., July 1 the new contractor overseeing the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) contract at Arnold Engineering Development Complex is National Aerospace Solutions, LLC.

NAS is a limited liability corporation represented by Bechtel National, Inc., GP Strategies, and Sierra Lobo, established for the sole purpose of meeting AEDC's objectives for the TOS contract. Teaming subcontractors with NAS include nLogic and Chugach.

"This has been a long, exciting journey to get to this point. We are thrilled to be here and to be a part of team AEDC," said Cynthia Rivera, NAS general manager. "Our 90-day transition period leading up to this point would not have been successful without the cooperation and assistance from the Air Force and the dedicated team at AEDC."
That journey originally started more than two years ago when, according to an AEDC news release, 59 people representing 31 companies attended an Industry Day held June 10, 2014, for the future TOS contract hosted by the AEDC Source Selection Office. The TOS requirements at AEDC were part of a larger AEDC-led acquisition strategy which divided mission requirements into six separate contracts.

Fast forward more than a year, and in June 2015 the Air Force awarded the TOS contract to NAS; however, the award was protested and contract transition did not begin until April 1, 2016. For the approximately 20 members of the NAS leadership team new to AEDC, the past 90 days have been very busy as they prepared to assume ongoing operations as well as stand up a new company, according to Rivera.

"We developed a solid transition plan and have been diligently working the plan to ensure we have everything in place to successfully assume operations," she said. "Our transition team has been spending time getting to know the workforce and what they do, and making sure positions are mapped to the new NAS organizational structure. We have a lot of respect for the workforce and their capabilities that have led to significant contributions to the U.S. Air Force."

Part of that transition involved a readiness review with Air Force leadership to determine whether NAS was prepared to assume operations. According to the NAS transition manager Ben Souther, who now serves as the Integrated Resources Director, NAS partnered with team AEDC to ensure a successful transition and the readiness review was designed to demonstrate that the 90-day transition was effective and NAS is ready to assume responsibility for executing the TOS contract. Air Force leadership agreed that NAS was ready to begin contract execution on July 1.

Souther added, now that transition is complete, it's time for NAS to switch gears.

"Now that we have completed transition, it's time to move on to the next phase and build upon the strong legacy AEDC has developed and partner with the Air Force to achieve the AEDC Strategic Plan," he said.

As NAS operations begin, there will still be obstacles and learning curves to overcome, according to Rivera.

"We know as we move forward into operations there will still be much to learn about the day to day operations here at the base, and in Maryland and California," she said.

Rivera explained that NAS is introducing some areas of change to the test operations and sustainment approach, the first of which is the execution aligned organization and a functional management organizational structure. Once fully implemented, this approach will build broader and stronger teams in the three main branches of test operations and sustainment at Arnold; Aeropropulsion, Flight, and Space and Missile. The supporting functional organizations will enable efficient use of resources, and provide training and career development for staff. These changes are directly in support of the AEDC 2024 vision and Statement of Objectives.     

Another area of focus for NAS will be to ensure a strong safety culture across all areas.

Rivera stated, "We can only be successful if we look out for each other and have everyone engaged in hazard recognition and proactive mishap prevention.

"A new era began here at AEDC this past week with National Aerospace Solutions partnering with the Air Force, the people at AEDC and the local communities. Our vision is for NAS to be integral to the success of AEDC, the U. S. Air Force's premier aerospace testing facilities, while applying the highest standards of ethics, innovation, safety, security and quality to daily operations. It is critical to sustain and grow the contribution that Team AEDC makes to our nation's defense and aviation technology. Now that we have reached the start of operations we can officially say that we are very proud to be a member of Team AEDC."

-AEDC-