On Wednesday, September 29, 2004, Stephen F. Lewis, Acting Deputy Director for Industrial Security, Defense Security Service (DSS), announced the facilities selected to receive the 2004 James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award. The announcement was made at the Annual Seminar of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) International in Dallas, TX.

The award was established in 1966 and named in honor of the late Colonel James S. Cogswell, USAF, the first chief of the unified office of Industrial Security. Colonel Cogswell was responsible for developing the basic principles of the Industrial Security Program, including the Program's emphasis on partnership between industry and government to accomplish industrial security objectives, and excellence for the benefit of its ultimate customer, the U.S. warfighter.

The Cogswell Awards are the most prestigious honor for facilities cleared though the Department of Defense’s National Industrial Security Program. Of nearly 11,000 cleared contractors, less than one tenth of one percent are annually selected to receive this Defense Security Service Award. Achieving this distinction requires security excellence involving a total team effort by top management, the facility security officer, and the facility work force. It is based on the following specific criteria:

• An outstanding overall security program in which the contractor routinely resolves problems independently and is extremely responsive to changes in the National Industrial Security Program (NISP).
• Management's active support and involvement in maintaining an excellent security posture.
• Knowledge and professionalism on the part of the Facility Security Officer.
• A record of outstanding security review results that set standards for emulation by other contractors.
• Internal operating procedures which implement or exceed applicable requirements of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM).
• An absence of security violations that impact on the integrity of security systems.
• An effective, ongoing security education and awareness program.
• Support for DoD personnel security initiatives by all levels of management.
• A program to limit the number of classified holdings in the facility.

The Cogswell Award selection process is very rigorous. Facilities are nominated by their assigned DSS Industrial Security Representatives, based on the criteria noted above and at least two consecutive industrial security reviews. Nominated facilities must show a sustained degree of excellence in program requirements. Nominations are fully vetted and endorsed throughout all levels of the DSS organization, a National Review Team then consolidates and ranks the nominations, and that ranked listing is submitted to Senior Management for final endorsement and approval.

Selectees for the award for 2004 are:

BBNT Solutions, LLC
Middletown, RI
Keith Carlson, Manager
Renai Chapman, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – John W. Oliver

Computer Sciences Corporation
Huntsville, AL
J. Daniel Jones, Vice President
Teresa Garland, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Bonnie L. Fuqua

Controls and Structures Division
Of
Vertex RSI
Richardson, TX
Ralph N. White, Vice President and General Manager
Robert G. Schwalls, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Ernest A. Rhodes

Digital Receiver Technology, Inc.
Germantown, MD
Acie Vickers, President/Director
Craig Heidemann, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Colleen M. Nicholson

KEI Pearson, Inc.
Arlington, VA
Robert F. Urso, President and CEO
Raymond W. Rugen, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Stephen M. Raymond

Northrop Grumman Information Technology TASC
San Antonio, TX
Curt Armbruster, Executive Director Security
Phillip B. Mahoney, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Richard A. Stogsdill

Raytheon Company
Huntsville, AL
Peter E. Fryberger, Manager
Charley Ann McMinn, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Jeanne M. West

Raytheon Company
Aurora, CO
Ray Kolibaba, Vice President Space Systems
Pete Short, FSO
DSS Industrial Security Representative – Andrea K. Schwalbe