The National Defense Industrial Association selected Maj. Steve Power, U.S. Army Operational Test Command’s Maneuver Support and Sustainment Test Directorate, as the 2015 Military Tester of the Year.

Brig. Gen. Scott Spellmon, OTC commander, praised Power for his leadership and commitment to the Army’s operational testing program.

“I am extremely proud of Maj. Power and his selfless service to the Army, OTC and soldiers,” he said. “Through his efforts, OTC’s excellence in testing is, once again, being recognized on a national level.”

Power said he was humbled by the honor, which was possible only through a joint effort of military, civilians and contractor personnel.

“I lead a diverse team of experienced and talented professionals who plan, conduct and report on realistic operational tests of the Army’s newest equipment and systems,” he said. “This award is because of a lot of hard work by this team, and I am proud and honored to serve with them.”

Commissioned in 1999 as an Armor officer, Power has served as a tank platoon leader, tank company executive officer, tank company commander and battalion and brigade level operations officer. His overseas assignments include tours in Korea and Iraq.

As an Army Acquisition Corps officer, Power was the assistant product manager for the Abrams family of tanks and assistant product manager for the Ground Combat Vehicle Program before beginning his current assignment as a test and evaluation officer at OTC. He is Level III certified in program management.

Power’s military education includes Armor Officers’ Basic Course, Engineer Officers’ Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College and a variety of Defense Acquisition University courses. He graduated from Loyola College in Baltimore with Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and also holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Detroit-Mercy.

The award will be presented at the organization’s 2015 Test and Evaluation Conference today in Springfield, Va.

National Defense Industrial Association, organized in 1997, focuses on promoting America’s national security interests and providing a forum for the exchange of information between government and industry. With nearly 2,000 corporate members and 90,000 individual members, the association has chapters across the country.