The Defense Department today recognized the outstanding contributions of sixteen employees with disabilities in a ceremony at the Bethesda Hyatt Regency Hotel, Bethesda, Md. Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
Charles S. Abell hosted the department's 22nd Annual Disability Awards, which also recognized defense organizations with outstanding affirmative action programs for people with disabilities.
The sixteen employees with disabilities who received awards for outstanding performance in 2002 were:
Ms. Kathleen S. Baumgartner, Department of the Air Force
Mr. David J. Cruzan, Defense Intelligence Agency
Mr. Joseph P. Doyle, Office of the Inspector General
Mr. Samuel T. Garcia, National Security Agency
Mr. George H. Gonzalez, Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Mr. James R. Johnson, Defense Logistics Agency
Mr. Felix F. Kalendek III, Defense Security Service
Mr. Jay D. Nobles, Department of the Army
Ms. Margaret E. Mehaffie, Defense Information Systems Agency
Ms. Debra L. Moose, National Imagery and Mapping Agency
Ms. Deborah A. Mundt, Defense Commissary Agency
Ms. Ruthann D. Pest, Defense Contract Management Agency
Mr. Daniel J. Philbin, Office of the Secretary of the Defense
Mr. Solomon V. Rakhman, Department of the Navy
Ms. Nashana M. Riley, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Mr. Bobby F. Vercher, Defense Contract Audit Agency
Three defense organizations received 2002 Secretary of Defense Trophies for Employing People with Disabilities:
Department of the Air Force, for Best Military Department
Defense Logistics Agency, for Best Mid-Size Component (more than 30,000 civilians)
Defense Security Service, for Best Small Component (less than 30,000 civilians)
Award winners were chosen during the department's Disability Employment Awareness Month in October 2002.
Currently, more than 47,000 people with disabilities work for the Defense Department. Six thousand of these have severe disabilities targeted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for emphasis in providing job opportunies.
