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Lockheed Martin
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"This award is a tribute to the talented Lockheed Martin team and to the dedication of our team to delivering systems that support the needs of our nation's war fighters," said Drolet, who is director of Lockheed Martin Huntsville Operations and a retired brigadier general.
"While Brig. Gen. Drolet credits the countless individuals on his teams both at Lockheed Martin and in the Army, the results of those efforts are a direct reflection of his individual leadership and exceptional talents," said James D. Pepper, Jr., president, NDIA Tennessee Valley Chapter. "His record speaks for itself, and we are proud to acknowledge his personal achievements. Brig. Gen. Drolet epitomizes the purpose of the General John B. Medaris Award and represents a distinguished group of individuals who have made a direct impact on the defense preparedness of our great nation."
Lockheed Martin Huntsville Operations, which performs program management and engineering for key missile defense contracts, is the site of the Battle Management Center of Excellence for the Lockheed Martin Corporation. Under Drolet's leadership since 1992, the Huntsville facility has grown from 100 to more than 500 employees and from three to eight buildings, with two more now under construction. During this time, the facility has achieved ISO certification from the International Organization for Standardization, AS9100 (aerospace standard) certification and the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model(R) Integration (CMMI(R)) Maturity Level 3 certification. It also was recognized with the U.S. Department of Defense's James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award in 2000.
Drolet joined Lockheed Martin after retiring from the U.S. Army. He was the program executive officer for Army Air Defense and held various commands and staff positions, including Pentagon assignments and tours in Germany and Vietnam. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medals and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. In recognition of his distinguished military career, Drolet was inducted into the Madison County Military Heritage Commission Hall of Heroes in 1997.
In 2001, he received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Huntsville-Madison County Leadership Program for his contributions to community organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Rotary Club of Huntsville and the Madison County Veteran's Memorial Foundation. Drolet is the Alabama state president of the Association of the U.S. Army and a member of the board of governors for the Heritage Club, and was a commissioner for the Alabama State Commission on Manufacturing from 2003 to 2005.
Drolet holds an M.S. degree from Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa., and a B.A. degree from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The NDIA Tennessee Valley Chapter established the annual Medaris Award in 1981 in honor of Major Gen. John B. Medaris, the first commanding general of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., commanding general of the U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command and a leader in Army space exploration. The names of all annual award recipients are displayed at Aviation and Missile Command Headquarters, at Redstone Arsenal. Drolet is the 22nd Medaris Award recipient.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.
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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin
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Web site: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/