Photo By Joseph Bullinger | 220525-N-GB257-001 Beaufort, S.C. (May 25, 2022) Craig Alan McClanahan, lead scientist...... read more read more
Subscribe
CHARLESTON, S.C. – A Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic engineer was recently selected as one of the Navy’s top engineers for technical leadership that led to the development of new cryptologic applications for the Navy.
Craig Alan McClanahan, lead scientist for NIWC Atlantic’s Emerging Technologies team, was presented the 2022 Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers Award under the “Individual Engineer” category on June 16 in Washington.
Named after Etter, a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) for Research, Development and Acquisition (RD&A), the awards recognize technical superiority, innovation, technical merit, operational impact and applicability to ASN RD&A priorities.
McClanahan said he was humbled by the recognition.
“I was very surprised [about the award],” McClanahan said. “The fact that I could get recognized for doing things that can’t be talked about, I believe highlights this accomplishment even more.”
McClanahan was selected for his technical leadership and contributions to the Navy’s Signals Intelligence and Electronic Warfare (SIGINT/EW) initiative, which led to the development of new cryptologic applications based on engineering principles being utilized on other naval engineering endeavors, specifically in the signals domain.
McClanahan said he credits the efforts of his team and the support of NIWC Atlantic leadership for his achievement.
“I could not do what I do without my current team, which is made up of people with varying skill sets that allow us to have great diversity of talent,” said McClanahan. “My leadership has been very supportive in all of the work to date that I have been associated with. They give general guidelines and help secure program office funding to ensure my efforts are fully viable.
“I have been very fortunate that throughout my career, I have had some of the best leaders and peers to guide me, allowing me to grow into my current position,” said McClanahan.
To win a Dr. Etter award is not an easy goal to achieve, according to the Department of the Navy (DON).
“The selection process is highly competitive. The technical excellence displayed by their achievements, their contributions, and resulting payoff to the DON are significant,” said Frederick J. Stefany, Principal Civilian Assistant Secretary of the Navy in a DON memo announcing the Dr. Etter awardees in April.
A former Sailor and Cryptologic (Collection) Senior Chief Petty Officer, McClanahan continues to contribute to the success of the Navy as a DON civilian, as he sees his job at NIWC Atlantic as part of a very important mission.
“My position is to find new cryptologic systems that can be deployed on-board U.S. Naval surface vessels,” McClanahan said. “This is done by knowing the current capability gaps, taking that information and either developing the system locally or having an industry partner that can help with the development efforts.”
“Being a career Navy man,” he added, “I always wanted to give back to the Navy and make it better for the future Sailors.”
Supervisor Eric Muckin, NIWC Atlantic competency lead, commended McClanahan for his fervent work ethic.
“Craig's ability to deliver a competitive outcome by spearheading the engineering effort of this cutting-edge signals intelligence capability ultimately revolutionizes Naval decision making through rapid delivery as a disruptive analytics-driven, data-informed, and technology-empowered capability centered on cognitive overmatch capabilities of human-machine teams,” said Muckin.
“Craig is a passionate leader with a mission-first mentality and an infectious personality. The Navy will continue to grow exponentially and remain strong as long as talented, caring individuals such as Craig remain.”
The Dr. Etter Award, through its yearly nominations and selections, encourages all DON scientists and engineers to continue pursuing innovations that support America’s fleet and warfighters; and to encourage future generations of engineers and scientists for Department of Navy positions.
| Date Taken: | 07.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.07.2022 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 424539 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NIWC Atlantic Engineer Receives Dr. Delores M. Etter Award, by Kris Patterson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Joint Base Charleston Air Force North
