NAS Patuxent River Cultural Resources Manager Mike Smolek won the 2014 Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Award in the category of Cultural Resources Management/Individual.

For the program's FY14 competition - which recognized Navy ships, installations, teams and individuals for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to improving the Navy's environmental performance - 53 nominations from commands around the world were received in 10 categories. A panel of judges comprising environmental subject matter experts and representatives from the Navy and non-government organizations reviewed the nominations and selected the winners, which were announced in early March.

In his job identifying and preserving Pax River's cultural resources, Smolek, an archaeologist by profession, is responsible for assessing proposed construction or repair projects - anything that disturbs soil and may impact archaeological sites or modify historic structures - for their potential impact, as part of the environmental review process.

"I'm not at all surprised that Mike won the award; his knowledge of the laws that govern how you treat cultural resources - whether it be a standing structure or undisturbed earth - as well as his historical knowledge of Maryland continues to amaze me," said Lance McDaniel, environmental director for Pax River. "His expertise allows him to advise base leadership on the proper avenues to proceed, as well as possible alternatives, so that neither the cultural resource nor the mission is affected detrimentally; which is why we haven't had any adverse effects in the five years he's been on board."

What are Pax River's Cultural Resources?

The Pax River complex encompasses 19 properties in five Maryland counties and covers approximately 15,000 acres, with thousands more acres of Navy-controlled water ranges. Its diverse cultural resources include prehistoric archaeological sites, 17th and 18th century Colonial sites, shipwrecks and other underwater sites.

There are also a number of significant architectural resources from the 18th to 21st centuries, including historic structures pre-dating the Navy's arrival; large military structures such as aircraft hangars and catapults; unique facilities and structures designed specifically for aviation-related research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) work, such as centrifugal gun testers and firing tunnels; and historic landscapes, including two entire airfields.

In addition to managing Pax's cultural resources, Smolek serves collateral duty as the regional archaeologist for Naval District Washington. In that capacity, he provides numerous other Navy and Marine Corps facilities with crucial field support, technical guidance and the experience to deal with emergencies such as the unexpected discovery of archaeological resources during construction projects, or legal challenges that pose the risk of unacceptable project delays or excessive cost overruns.

"He offers the flexibility necessary to handle these situations quickly and efficiently, when time does not allow for the procurement of standard contracted field services," said Kyle Rambo, conservation director. "His knowledge and availability is an invaluable asset to the entire region."

Preserving history

An advocate of proper document management and the preservation of historic records, Smolek has collected and catalogued many photos, drawings, news articles, command histories, construction drawings and technical reports chronicling the history of aviation RDT&E at Pax, Rambo noted. Smolek also works closely with curators at the Maryland Archaeological Laboratory, where Navy artifacts recovered from across the state make up one of the facility's largest collections; and where he served as director for more than 14 years.

He regularly interacts with project planners, facility coordinators, civil and utilities engineers, program managers, and military test pilots and planners. He also develops and nurtures community partnerships by serving on historic preservation boards and working with various regulatory/advisory agencies.

Beyond his professional training and experience, Smolek brings to the job an uncommon combination of personal knowledge and skills.

"He holds a private pilot's license and flies and owns his own aircraft, and he has built his own helicopter," Rambo added. "These special talents prove quite useful when working closely with customers who are aviators and airfield managers. He's clearly deserving of this award."

Smolek and the other CNO Environmental Award category winners now advance to the Secretary of the Navy level of competition.


For more news from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, visit www.navy.mil/.