Butler receives William M. Dunne People’s Choice Award

  • Published
  • By Raquel March
  • AEDC Public Affairs
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  Kirk Butler, a scramjet test engineer at AEDC, recently received the William M. Dunne People’s Choice Award.

The award nomination cited that Butler’s technical skills ensured that 13 tests performed in the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Facility were successful from the period of April 1 through June 30.

APTU is a blow-down, true temperature and pressure test facility designed for testing supersonic and hypersonic missile scale flight system hardware including propulsion systems and materials.

Butler was instrumental in developing a backup plan for a non-operational high pressure gaseous nitrogen system at the APTU facility, which resulted in the completion of a $1.6 million test program.

The nomination also cited that Butler served in multiple roles as needed within the APTU facility, provided guidance and training to team members and “devoted personal time to keep AEDC plugged into international hypersonic and ground test technologies.”

The People’s Choice Award recognizes contributions of AEDC team members who go well above and beyond the normal call of duty in order to accomplish the mission. The individual embodies the Air Force core value of “Service Before Self.”

The award was established in 1996 and named after William M. Dunne, an environmental engineer who served as a chief of the AEDC Environmental Management Division.

Butler is a resident of Tullahoma and has worked at AEDC for eight years.

-AEDC-