NNSS, NFO team members receive 2020 National Nuclear Security Administration Security Team Award

The Department of Energy has named the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Design Basis Threat (DBT) Implementation as its 2020 Security Team of the Year.

The award recognizes the contributions the members of the NNSA DBT Implementation team make each day to the nuclear security mission. The team protects some of the country’s most vital strategic assets and information, and through their award-winning work, have significantly influenced the way NNSA assesses risk and thereby made great strides in advancing U.S. national security objectives.

“The nomination is unprecedented,” said Associate Administrator and Chief, Defense Nuclear Security Jeffrey R. Johnson, “in that it spans the entire NNSA nuclear security enterprise and Department of Energy Office of Security Policy, and comprises both Management and Operating partners and federal oversight personnel. No team across the DOE spectrum has achieved similar progress on DBT implementation.”

Of the 24 team members who received the prestigious award, five are Mission Support and Test Services (MSTS) or Nevada Field Office (NFO) employees. From MSTS, Joshua Zamzow and Floriano Ciballos were honored, while NFO’s David Digon, Matthew Becker and Jerry Weber received awards. MSTS’s Joshua Zamzow additionally was awarded the Security Manager of the Year award for his contributions.

NFO Manager Dave Bowman praised the team. “Congratulations on winning the Security Team Award!”

NNSA’s security risk management philosophy is based on establishing and maintaining a graded approach and defense-in-depth safeguards. The safeguards and security program has multiple areas of deterrence including protective force, physical security, information security, material control and accountability, personnel security, and security program operations and planning. These programs integrate personnel, equipment, and procedures to protect physical assets and resources against theft, sabotage, diversion, and other criminal acts. The DBT policy the team developed is designed to represent a set of goals for the planning and implementation of Departmental safeguards and security programs for the next three to five years.