Members of the AN/SLQ-32 (v) Electronic Warfare Suite Organic Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) Team accepted the 2016 Secretary of Defense PBL Component-level Award during a ceremony held at NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support (WSS), July 10.

The Secretary of Defense PBL Award is presented annually to government and industry teams that demonstrate outstanding achievements while providing warfighters with exceptional operational capability and support through PBL agreements.

The AN/SLQ-32(V) Electronic Warfare Suite PBL Team won the award for their work to implement an organic arrangement between NAVSUP WSS and Defense Logistics Agenvy (DLA) Supply Centers to salvage and reutilize material in order to manage inventory costs. The team, comprised of employees from NAVSUP WSS and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, achieved $26.4 million in cost savings, $1.3 million in annual cost avoidance, increased material availability, reduced response times and improved repair turnaround time.

"PBLs are a key Department of Defense strategy used to deliver integrated, affordable support solutions to optimize system readiness and reduce operating and support costs," said NAVSUP WSS Commander Rear Adm. Duke Heinz during his opening remarks.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Materiel Readiness Terry Emmert presented the award.

"When we look at our ability to control costs, we can't do it the way we always have. It isn't a question of trying to drive price down through tough negotiation. We have to really rethink business in many ways," said Emmert. "The nature of what this team has done is not just achieve a fabulous result over the course of the past decade or so, but it's really set the course for what we should be looking to do as we move forward."

A field activity of the Naval Supply Systems Command, NAVSUP WSS is the U.S. Navy's supply chain manager providing worldwide support to the aviation, surface ship, and submarine communities. NAVSUP WSS provides Navy, Marine Corps, joint and allied forces with products and services that deliver combat capability through logistics. There are more than 2,000 civilian and military personnel employed at its two Pennsylvania sites and one Virginia site.

For more news from Naval Supply Systems Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/

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For more news from Naval Supply Systems Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.