Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) leadership named Capt. Timothy O'Brien a winner of the Outstanding Performance Award during an NAE Air Board video teleconference, April 27.

O'Brien was recognized for his role as the force supply officer for Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. As the force supply officer and as an active member of the NAE, he led efforts to generate and sustain readiness within Naval Aviation.

"You spearheaded efforts to position high demand and critical items in the 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility, which saved scarce transportation dollars and reduced average customer wait time and logistics response time," wrote Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander, Naval Air Forces/Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in a letter of appreciation to O'Brien "This focus area proved vital to improving readiness in these highly important geographic regions."

O'Brien also regularly participated in NAE site visits, called Boots on the Ground (BoG) or Boots on the Deck (BoD) events. At BoG/BoD events, NAE leaders visit Naval Aviation units to interact with Sailors and Marines and learn about their successes as well as their readiness challenges. The leaders then take on the readiness challenges as action items that they and their staffs work on resolving.

"Your expert knowledge in supply management greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the NAE with the proper focus on readiness degraders and innovative solutions," wrote Shoemaker. "You made it a point to take on every possible action item connected with your billet and followed through to resolution."

For O'Brien, it was very rewarding to be recognized for his contributions to the NAE and its mission of improving readiness.

"I hope what I brought to the table was an ability to offer honest and unbiased assessments on issues impacting flight line readiness from a supply perspective and to be able to connect the dots between cause and effect," O'Brien said. "Naval Aviation is often referred to as the greatest team sport, and - as with all team sports - actions in one area impacts performance in other areas. I'm most proud of being part of a team that listens to Sailors and Marines on the flight line and takes on difficult challenges to deliver solutions that drive improved readiness."

If O'Brien could stress one thing about the NAE, he would emphasize the importance of enterprise metrics.

"The NAE is a metrics-driven enterprise, so it's critically important to understand data sources and intended uses of our metrics to ensure we don't draw incorrect conclusions," O'Brien said. "Whether it is Full Mission Capable (FMC) vs. Ready Basic Aircraft (RBA), or deck plate vs. Aircraft Material/Supply Readiness Reporting (AMSRR) ... all our metrics serve valuable purposes, but sometimes they seem to contradict each other. It's critical to be informed!"

The NAE Air Board, composed of leaders partnering to pursue the best interests of Naval Aviation, recognizes typically one Sailor, Marine or civilian employee each month for his or her outstanding enterprise-centric contributions to Naval Aviation. Award winners serve as positive examples of the enterprise approach at work. They routinely illustrate a commitment to the NAE principles of process improvement, a willingness to challenge assumptions, a focus on effectiveness and efficiency and a commitment to the greater good of Naval Aviation.

Naval Aviation leaders have distributed the monthly NAE Outstanding Performance Award since 2008 to promote a culture of cost-wise readiness. For a full listing of monthly award winners since 2008, visit www.nae.navy.mil. For more information, contact the NAE at nae@navy.mil.

For more news from Naval Aviation Enterprise, visit www.navy.mil/local/NAE/.