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OTC honors UT director with Order of St Barbara Medal
U.S. Army Operational Test
Command honored one of its longtime civilian
supporters with the Order of St. Barbara Medal
in a ceremony last week at OTC.
Dr. David Brant, University of Texas at Austin Center for Agile Technology director, was presented the medal by Col. Dennis Pastore, director, OTC’s Fires Test Directorate, located at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The Order of St. Barbara is an artillery branch award and Pastore is a field artillery officer. UT has supported OTC for more than 20 years, both in direct support to OTC’s test technology programs and through the Army’s University XXI program, according to John Diem, director, OTC’s Test Technology Directorate. “Dr. Brant’s team has had the unenviable task of being asked to develop software and network testing systems that must work flawlessly and with rapidly evolving fire support and command and control systems,” he said, “and they succeeded each time.” “This recognition for Dr. Brant is an honor well-deserved and a testament to his contributions to artillery Soldiers and leaders who are better equipped and trained as a direct result of his work,” Diem said. Pastore said Brant’s work has helped construct better tests that ultimately put a better product in the hands of Soldiers. “St. Barbara keeps watch and protects members of the field artillery branch,” Pastore said. “We hope she does the same for you. “I wish I could give you more because all you do for us is unbelievable,” Pastore said. “This medal is something to remember the branch by because we are never going to forget you.” Brant said he was honored to receive the medal, a rarity for a civilian. “We try to help OTC make the most effective use of the technology that is becoming available to them,” he said. “We’re always chasing a moving target, and that’s exciting.” OTC, the Army’s only independent operational tester, plans and conducts tests and assessments on all new systems, equipment and technologies the Army is considering for acquisition, reporting the results to senior leaders. The headquarters and four test directorates are located at Fort Hood and three TD’s are located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Sill, Okla.; and Fort Bliss. OTC is a subordinate command of the Army Test and Evaluation Command located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. CAT is an applied research unit reporting to the vice president for research at UT at Austin, said Aubrey White, CAT principal investigator. Focusing on agile software technology through the research of complex systems problems, CAT transitions basic research to real world applications, providing solutions to commercial, government and defense industry customers.
Source: Fort Hood
Sentinel, September 11, 2014 |
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