Photo By Chief Petty Officer America Wingo | CRYSTAL CITY, VA. (Mar. 31, 2022) – Mr. Michael Rasmussen, the F-35 Operational...... read more read more
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The F-35 PEO Award of Excellence is given to an individual or team who has profoundly advanced the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) through outstanding performance and determination to deliver the most lethal and capable aircraft to the warfighter.
The 2021 JPO recipient is Michael Rasmussen, the senior software acquisition manager at the Air Vehicle Missions System Program Management Office. Rasmussen arrived at the JPO in 2011 after a 30-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps. He began in ground support equipment and later became an instructor and an inspector overseeing numerous types of aircraft flown by the Marine Corps at 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and Commander, Naval Air Forces. Rasmussen also was a maintenance chief on the F/A-18 Hornet.
"Being a maintenance chief at United States Marine Corps Forces Command was key to moving over to the JPO because I spent my final three years as a Marine working F-35, along with other aviation acquisitions projects," he said.
At the JPO, Rasmussen is a manager of alignment. He coordinates daily with the propulsion, vehicle systems, and mission systems teams to fulfill the Air Vehicle Mission Systems' Operational Flight Program (OFP) responsibilities. In addition, he monitors the software that is then bundled in OFP and put onto the F-35.
"My position as the operations flight program manager is like being a maintenance control chief. Every day is a new challenge, and I coordinate closely with a team every day," he explained. "When these teams develop their capabilities or complete changes, I work with the groups to ensure that it rolls up, aligns, and is delivered. I'm blessed to work with great people on both the government and industry side who are critical thinkers."
Rasmussen considers the talented people at the JPO the reason for the program's success, and he believes his interactions with them to be the most rewarding part of being at the JPO.
"The people at the JPO are invested in the program's success and the warfighter. They know how to take the PEO's intent and translate it into their duties with less hesitation and more tenacity. The 'Yes, if…' mantra that is part of the Program Executive Officer's (PEO) leadership philosophy is prevalent with the teams here," said Rasmussen.
Rasmussen credits the teams' perseverance for his recognition and award.
"I was surprised and deeply humbled to receive this award. Over the years, I've worked with many people who have contributed to the program and any success I've achieved. But, as I told the PEO, it was the first time since boot camp that I've been speechless," said Rasmussen. "When I accepted the award, I did it on behalf of the people here."
Alignment across program management teams is crucial for a complex organization like the JPO. The PEO Award of Excellence acknowledged how Rasmussen facilitated a team across multi-program management offices and stakeholders to update the Air System Playbook. This tool improved scheduling for 30 aircraft capabilities and removed 16 years from the weapons timelines. He also revived the Joint Capability Management Council which improved air system alignment across five program management offices.
Rasmussen's credits his time with the Marines for affording him valuable mentors who had confidence that he was ready to successfully advance to more demanding positions. He, in turn, then paid that forward at the JPO as a mentor to new engineers, where he gave them ownership of their programs to develop the next generation of system managers.
"As an inspector in the Marine Corps, I had an outstanding mentor, a three-star admiral," Rasmussen explained. "He sat me down as a young Gunnery Sergeant and told me that he didn't want me to go out there and find fault with everything. Instead, he wanted me to be a part of the solution by conducting training and performing additional follow-up with those commands.
Coming to work in the acquisition management environment can be difficult for a new person at the JPO. So I look at opportunities to mentor these people, just like my mentor did for that young gunny."
Rasmussen mentors those who are unclear about the reach of their capabilities. He gives them more opportunities at work to find their place and grow.
"One of the biggest things is to show your abilities and be willing to support anywhere that needs it," he advises younger members of the JPO. "To be a mentor, you also have to provide other people opportunities to mentor you. So I look to the up-and-comers at the JPO because there's an opportunity to learn from younger people. And they play a critical role in how successful we will be in the future."
| Date Taken: | 05.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2022 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 420038 |
| Location: | CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 792 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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