MERITORIOUS SERVICE WHILE SERVING AS THE HELMET PROJECT OFFICER FOR PROGRAM MANAGER INFANTRY COMBAT EQUIPMENT, PORTFOLIO MANAGER GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT SYSTEMS, MARINE CORPS SYSTEMS COMMAND, QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, FROM OCTOBER 2018 THROUGH MAY 2021. DURING THIS PERIOD, CAPTAIN NEWMAN RESEARCHED, DEVELOPED, ACQUIRED, AND PERFORMED LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT OF ALL HELMET SYSTEMS AND RELATED COMPONENTS FOR THE MARINE CORPS. HIS INFANTRY BACKGROUND AND MISSION PLANNING EXPERIENCE WERE AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND HIS TEAM AND WILL DIRECTLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE SURVIVABILITY AND LETHALITY OF MARINES. CAPTAIN NEWMAN LED SEVERAL INNOVATIVE PROJECTS, A BRIDGE CAPABILITY FOR A HIGH-CUT VARIANT OF THE CURRENT HELMET THAT IMPROVES THE FIT OF THE IMPROVED NIGHT VISION OPTICS AND HEARING ENHANCEMENT DEVICES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED NEXT GENERATION HELMET, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUING TO FIELD, IMPROVE, AND SUSTAIN THE LEGACY HELMETS. CAPTAIN NEWMAN'S INITIATIVE, PERSERVERANCE, AND TOTAL DEDICATION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIM AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

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MERITORIOUS SERVICE WHILE SERVING AS PROJECT OFFICER AND CONTRACTS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT FROM NOVEMBER 2009 TO JUNE 2011. DURING THIS PERIOD, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER BERNARD PERFORMED HIS DEMANDING DUTIES IN AN EXEMPLARY AND HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. HE FACILITATED REQUIREMENTS DEFINITION AND CONTRACT SOLICITATION PROCESSES FOR COMPLEX ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND HAZARDOUS MATERIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH A SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE. FURTHER, HIS EXPERT TECHNICAL AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS AND PRODUCED COMPETITIVE, EFFICIENT CONTRACT VEHICLES NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN CRITICAL OPERATIONS. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER BERNARD'S VAST TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE COUPLED WITH HIS EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP ABILITIES REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

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FOR OUTSTANDING MERITORIOUS SERVICE WHILE SERVING AS PROJECT ANALYSIS OFFICER FROM 11 DECEMBER 2008 TO 12 NOVEMBER 2011. COMMANDER DIGGS DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS A HIGHLY RESPECTED AND EFFECTIVE PROJECT OFFICER THROUGH HIS KEEN UNDERSTANDING OF QUALITY IMPROVE AND LEAN SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT AND HIS QUICK ABILITY TO COMPREHEND DIFFERENT OPERATIONS. COMMANDER DIGGS' PROFESSIONAL ACUMEN AND ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY ACROSS WIDELY VARYING COMMUNITIES AND COMMITTEES HELPED TO IMPROVE VARIOUS NAVY INITIATIVES ACROSS THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF GENERAL NAVY INTELLIGENCE, NUCLEAR POSTURE REVIEW PROGRAM, AND DEPARTMENT OF NAVY SERVICES. HIS INTERFACE WITH SENIOR NAVY LEADERSHIP, BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, WAS CRITICAL IN PROVIDING CRUCIAL INPUT ON A RANGE OF ISSUES, INCLUDING THE NAVY'S NUCLEAR AGREEMENT INPUT, INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY STAFFING, AND OPERATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE NEEDS, AND MOUS, MAUS, AND CHARTERS. COMMANDER DIGGS' EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONALISM, PERSONAL INITIATIVE, AND LOYAL DEVOTION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.