Pantex Blog

At Pantex, we normally don't prepare for thieves stealing hearts and never saying sorry, but we do plan for most other things. One way is by promoting National Preparedness Month in September — an annual Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) campaign to encourage emergency readiness through education and awareness.

“The annual campaign is designed to ultimately better protect all of us by encouraging families and communities to start a conversation and create plans for emergency situations,” Emergency Preparedness Specialist Stacie Pahl said. “It's a reminder that setting aside the time now and taking in considerations while things are calm will allow for better decision making and improved response in an emergency.”

FEMA chose “Preparedness Starts at Home” as the 2025 campaign theme. Pantex uses this to tailor messaging specific to our workforce to ensure we are safe, proactive, and resilient in completing our mission.

“Preparedness transforms a workforce from a reactive state to a proactive and adaptable one,” Pahl said. “Fostering this safety culture builds the capacity to cope in emergencies and equips us with the ability to rebound stronger and operate effectively during significant challenges, which is
the hallmark of true resilience.”

Pantex's mission demands a proactive and vigilant mindset. This is accomplished by implementing stringent safety protocols and forward–thinking planning. Pahl says you can start planning at home by keeping an open line of communication like she does with her own family.

“Keep the conversation going,” she said. “Assess and prioritize needs, whether it be for children, elderly, pets, or medical. Make a family emergency plan, build a kit with basic emergency supplies, and secure your home. There are so many ways to prepare, it is just a matter of making the time for it now.”

To ensure 'Preparedness Starts at Home,' Pantexans should:

• Sign up for local emergency alerts
• Use weather radios during severe weather
• Prepare a kit for your family and pets including food, water, medications, flashlights, chargers,
  identification, and important documents
• Keep vehicles fueled and supplied
• Make an emergency contact list
• Practice your plan

When employees are prepared for emergencies on– or off–site, it strengthens their ability to continue Pantex's vital national security mission. Whether a severe weather event, a power outage, or any unexpected disruption, strengthening employee response at home reinforces safety at the site.

“It's important for people to prepare for a range of emergencies that could impact their safety — no matter the location or circumstances,” Pahl said. “Threats, hazards, and risks can differ depending on location and proximity of hazards. For instance, the Texas Panhandle doesn't typically experience earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis. It's more probable for us to experience a wildfire, tornado, and flash flooding, so those are the situations we need to be prepared for.”

Don't wait until the middle of the night in your dreams to think about getting ready. Preparation is key to continuity and the safety and wellbeing of Pantexans. Before stocking up your vehicle with supplies, make sure not to include prohibited items. Pantexans are also encouraged to visit ready.gov to learn emergency preparation tips to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.

Pantex intern and member of the USA Deaf National Volleyball team, Brielle Worley, is headed to the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Competing at an elite level in a challenging sport such as volleyball requires a myriad of talents like high intelligence, seamless communication, and flawless teamwork. Amarillo native Brielle Worley balanced a 4.0 student career with reaching the very heights of her sport, and this summer rolled those talents into an internship in Pantex’s Project Performance Analytics Department.

Worley was recruited to the USA Deaf National Volleyball team in 2021 where she competed in her first Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The team placed fifth, leaving her hungry for another shot at gold. Three years later she went to the World Championships in Okinawa, Japan, where the Team USA earned a silver medal. Next up is the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, at the end of November.

“I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to represent the United States again and compete for a gold medal,” Brielle said. “I also enjoy having the opportunity to meet deaf people from other countries and learn about their experiences and backgrounds. I enjoy making new friends and having the opportunity to trade jerseys, jackets, and pins with athletes from other countries.”

Her family and community have been a steadfast support system for Worley throughout her volleyball career. Her mother, Pantex Process Engineering Director Kyndra Worley, has played a big part in driving her to practices, attending games, and offering words of encouragement.

“From my early days playing on various Kids, Inc. youth recreational volleyball teams to now as a collegiate athlete, my parents and my sister have consistently been there for me,” Brielle said.

It should come as no surprise that it was Brielle’s mom who encouraged her to pursue an internship at Pantex.

“Growing up, I always heard my mom talk about how amazing Pantex is and how many opportunities are available there,” Brielle said. “When I saw an opportunity to intern in the Business Services, I was excited to apply and experience a summer at the place my mom had always spoke so highly of.”

While the two didn’t work in the same location during Brielle’s internship, they were able to meet over lunch a few times. Kyndra relished the chance to have her daughter on-site and loved watching her learn about and engage in the Pantex mission that has meant so much to her over the years.

“Getting to have her home for the summer and sharing our work experiences and routines has been something I will never forget,” Kyndra said.

Brielle has truly excelled throughout her athletic and academic journey. She finished the year as the leader in kills (an offensive attack) in NCAA DIII volleyball, was an American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week, Player of the Year in her conference, and was named an NCAA All-American.

As a Pantex intern, Brielle was just as exceptional.

“Brielle is one of those people who is intelligent, high-energy, and has an ‘excellence’ mindset which was incredibly helpful,” said Justin Fox, Project Performance Analytics senior manager. “She not only questioned why things were done certain ways, but offered solutions and viewpoints that proved valuable. This allowed us to not only make improvements in our systems and training, but allowed for our staff to become better teachers and expand their vision, as well.”

Brielle’s intern project involved a deep-dive investigation of Workplace Analysis Learning Tool (WALT), a U.S. Department of Energy-sanctioned artificial intelligence program designed to analyze data and extract information to provide efficient and accurate reports, recommendations for taking corrective action, and many other beneficial functions.

“WALT is one of the first AI systems approved for use at Pantex, and I truly enjoyed getting to be part of something that can make a huge impact,” Brielle said.

Since Pantex was Brielle’s first internship, she had plenty of anxiety about how things would work with her disability, but her work team took steps such as ensuring everyone had and used their webcams so that Worley could watch for reactions and more easily read lips.

“I often refer to my disability as a ‘hidden disability,’” Brielle said. “It is something that people often don’t notice when they meet me. During this internship I learned a lot about how to best work with so many different backgrounds, upbringings, personalities, etc., and these experiences will help me when I head to Tokyo and meet people who have different styles of communication, various Deaf identities and level of involvement in the Deaf culture.”

Now that her internship is over, what’s next for Brielle?

She plans to finish out both of her undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Risk Management and Insurance by 2027. For volleyball, she plans to complete two more years of collegiate volleyball at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and wants to continue with the USA Deaf National team for potentially two more Deaflympics after Tokyo.

Brielle continues to pile on more skills, and will return to the competitive arena with an increased understanding of professionalism, diligence, and collaboration from her experience at Pantex.

“Her future is so bright and I am happy that Pantex has been a part of her journey,” Kyndra said.

Pantex intern and Deaflympics athlete, Brielle Worley, poses with her manager, Justin Fox, and her mom, Kyndra Worley.

Pantex intern and Deaflympics athlete Brielle Worley’s team won a silver medal in the Volleyball World Championships.