News

Pantexan Shaun L.

“Everything just aligned perfectly,” says Shaun L., in regards to his experience of becoming a part of his team at Pantex.

Starting as an intern, Shaun began to work on projects for his team while he was still a West Texas A&M University student. Some of those projects are still in use today by his department.

In the last month of his internship, a position became available, and Shaun sought to fill the vacancy when the opportunity arose. He was eager to join the team and held that “you can’t help but succeed in that group.”

Despite his status as a newer employee, Shaun has already received recognition for his work building a large collection of dashboards associated with site-separation progress. According to Shaun, he is a part of a team of extremely high performers and says that certainly a lot more people were involved than just himself. He was very quick to add that this was a group effort that he could not have done alone.

“As a new employee at CNS I believe you really have the ability to get what you want out of working here,” he said. “There are so many opportunities and things you can do and learn. My suggestion is to get involved in as much as you can as often as you can. The hard work and connections will pay off.”

How have your problem-solving skills grown as you’ve developed as an employee?
I’d like to think my problem-solving skills have become much more refined during my time at Pantex. Being able to give people the solution they need even when it’s sometimes not what they ask for is an extremely useful skill. A lot of times this requires you to think out of the box, provide multiple solutions, and most of all have the real problem identified.

What top strength do you bring to your organization and why?
My greatest strength is likely my work ethic. Taking pride in responding rapidly and having a personal set of values in the way I approach work has helped me consistently produce high-quality results. It’s also helped me build stronger relationships with colleagues and begin to build trust surrounding my work at CNS.

What’s your favorite outside-of-work activity and why?
I’m a bit of a car guy. Eventually when I get a little bit more space, I’d like to restore an older car. I also enjoy being outdoors and staying active, but most recently I’ve been spending a lot of time at a local winery helping make wine. The process is really interesting to me and I enjoy all that goes into it.

Pantex Site Manager, Colby Yeary welcoming the audience

Pantexans and partners from across the National Security Enterprise gathered to celebrate the production halfway completion mark of the B61-12 Life Extension Program and W88 Alt 370. This milestone marks a significant accomplishment for Pantex, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), partners in the Nuclear Security Enterprise, the United States, and its allies. Having both programs reach the halfway point at the same time is a unique achievement.

“It took every one of you doing your part, working together with those thousands of others to achieve the common goal of modernizing these two weapons systems in order to continue to provide the nation with a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent,” said Dr. Rich Tighe, president and chief executive officer of CNS.

The B61-12 and W88 are strategically important weapons in our nation’s nuclear deterrent. The work done on these programs is critical to our nation’s defense plans for many years to come.

“The B61 gravity bomb is deployed by the U.S. Air Force on multiple platforms and has been in service more than 50 years, making it the oldest, most versatile weapon in the U.S. stockpile,” said Carlos Alvarado, deputy field office manager for the NNSA Production Office. He continued, “The W88 first entered the stockpile in the late 1980s. The W88 Alt 370 includes numerous updates to address aging concerns and enhance nuclear safety.”

Modernization of these weapons is vital to the mission.

“Working on such complex programs can be daunting, but the nation is better off as a result of your diligence and dedication. The work done at Pantex is in support of our national security strategy,” said John Evans, NNSA assistant deputy administrator for stockpile management.

The work on these two programs has not stopped. Reaching the 50% completion milestone is an accomplishment worth celebrating.

“An accomplishment such as this is only possible through teamwork and cooperation of everyone involved,” said Colby Yeary, Pantex site manager.

Sites reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy and money

Amarillo, Texas. — Consolidated Nuclear Security recently received 2023 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Purchaser Awards for excellence in its procurement of sustainable Information Technology products at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas and the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The sites were recognized by the Global Electronics Council for purchasing EPEAT electronics such as computers, printers, phones, televisions, copiers, scanners, and servers.

At the Pantex Plant, sustainable purchasing saved close to $100,000 while reducing waste and increasing energy efficiency. (Click for larger image)

Pantex and Y-12 were among more than 60 organizations from around the world celebrated for their leadership in sustainable purchasing. The organizations included cities, states, U.S. federal agencies, healthcare systems, universities, K-12 school systems, and private companies. The organizations recognized required EPEAT in their procurement policies and contracts and reported EPEAT purchasing volumes through their award application.

Sustainable purchases yield big results

Pantex was recognized for purchases in four categories while Y-12 was recognized for EPEAT purchases in three categories. Together, the sites purchased more than 7,000 EPEAT-certified products with a reduction of greenhouse gas equivalent to more than 1 million kilograms of carbon dioxide—the equivalent of taking more than 200 average U.S. passenger cars off the road for a year.

Those sustainable purchases are good for the bottom line as well, representing a sustainability cost savings in excess of $185,000 for both sites.

“By purchasing EPEAT-registered products, we know they have undergone a thorough evaluation of their life cycle, which helps us meet the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet,” said Brad Russell, CNS Sustainable Acquisition program manager. “Purchasing these products also helps us ensure our mission to protect the nation is met in the most sustainable way possible.”

Creating a more sustainable world

“Receiving this award means that Consolidated Nuclear Security is committed to sustainability, including the purchasing and life cycle of electronic equipment at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,” said Russell.

“The award winners are leading the charge toward creating a more sustainable world,” said Emmanuel Nwodo Waldo, senior manager of global relations for the Global Electronics Council. “They have taken sustainability from the boardrooms to their balance sheets. Our winners have spent more than $2 billion purchasing EPEAT products. This ongoing commitment toward creating a more sustainable and just world is worthy of celebration and emulation.”

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Bechtel National, Inc. is the lead member of CNS; minority members include Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, LLC; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects, and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Pantexan Michael O.’s attention to detail prevented what could have caused serious damage to video teleconference rooms in JCDC.

Take 5 minutes to learn about Michael O., audio-visual technician at Pantex. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.

It was a routine day for Michael O. as he was opening one of the video teleconference rooms on the second-floor north wing of John C. Drummond Center, but then something just seemed out of the ordinary.

While unlocking the room, Michael noticed that the digital tablet mounted on the wall next to the door looked defective.

Michael recalled, “I noticed the bezel that holds the screen was bowed out and the Technical Security sticker appeared to be tampered with. Upon further inspection, I realized that the tablet’s screen had broken off the device itself.”

Knowing the nature of the tablets as an experienced audio-visual technician, Michael quickly flagged it as more than a broken screen.

“The defect that occurred is an issue that can cause swollen batteries and device fires,” he said.

In following proper emergency reporting protocol, Michael immediately notified the Pantex Operations Center who connected him with Waste Operations, confirming that it was a potential fire hazard. To mitigate the issue, he was asked to unplug the device from its electrical power source and remove it from the wall as soon as and safely as possible.

However, Michael did not stop there.

“I knew other tablets had been installed around the same time the defective one was installed, so I wanted to check all of the devices around the JCDC to see if it was an isolated incident,” he said.

After inspecting the rest of the second floor of the JCDC, Michael discovered eight more faulty tablets and an additional 20 tablets across the building.

“This just happened to be one of those ‘something out of place, see something say something,’ moments,” he said.

As a result of Michael’s initial attention to detail, all of the identified fire hazardous tablets have been removed from the JCDC, preventing what could have been a costly and dangerous incident.

“We are continuing to monitor the tablets to hopefully catch any further issues quickly,” Michael said. “At this time, a solution to replace the devices is going through appropriate channels.”

Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult? If so, describe how you got here.
As a young adult, I wanted to be a musician. During my second year at Amarillo College, I started working with local theaters acting and doing technical aspects (i.e., lights, sound, etc.). Eventually, I realized I wanted to do live events full time, so I transferred to the Santa Fe University of Art and Design where I studied technical theater. From there, I served in various technical director positions until the pandemic hit. With live events shutting down during that time, I moved back to Amarillo. The audio-visual technician position at Pantex became available, so I applied and kept my fingers crossed.

What is your favorite part or aspect of your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
I’ve found that Pantex is an extremely collaborative environment. My peers have unique talents they bring to the team, and each one is willing to make sure employees’ needs are met every day. I feel that IT,/abbr> roles are constantly changing and developing, so being able to build upon our knowledge and combined years of experience allows us to keep the plant up and running with the tools and technology needed to complete their own mission critical roles.

How does patriotism factor into your life? Did your level of patriotism change after working at Pantex?
I’ve always had a sense of pride for our country and for the people who make up the diverse culture of our nation. Working at Pantex has further instilled my pride in our nation. While I may only play a small role in our mission, it ensures the freedoms and rights we’ve established as a nation. The deterrence that Pantex helps provide to our national defense allows me to go home every day to my family with pride.

What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Pantex or Y-12?
Network and get to know everyone you can. I have talked with and befriended everyone from maintenance staff to our executive leadership team. Each person has something you can learn from.

What would your coworkers be most surprised to learn about you?
I’ve been an actor on stage and on screen in 30+ productions, directed five fully staged plays, designed sets, lighting, and audio for more than 60 live productions, and can play multiple instruments, but my favorite thing was establishing internship programs at each venue I’ve worked at to pass along knowledge to the next generation and give them a place to grow their own passions.

Teams celebrate a final concrete pour and a dry-in for two of three buildings in the HESE complex.

abbr title="Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC">CNS and NPO leadership look on as the final 250 cubic yards of concrete are placed to complete the High Explosive lab foundation.

Amarillo, TX – Two buildings at the Pantex Plant’s High Explosive Science and Engineering (HESE) complex met major milestones in late September.

Crews put the Technology Development and Deployment Lab (TDDL) “in the dry” and poured the final concrete placement of the 2000+ cubic yard operating floor and foundation of the High Explosives (HE) Lab. The Pantex HESE complex is essential to the nation’s Nuclear Security Enterprise and will replace 15 aging facilities at Pantex with three new structures.

“Drying-in the TDDL represents a turning point in the project where we are able to begin major elements of interior construction,” Cody Edwards, project manager for prime subcontractor Hensel Phelps, said. “The onset of these activities sets the stage for multiple trade partners and finish-out scopes.”

The 72,762-sq-ft HESE complex includes the TDDL, the HE Lab, and an HE staging facility.

“The ‘all-in’ attitude of our integrated HESE project team demonstrates the commitment our employees have to the national security mission,” Pantex Senior Director for Project Management Russell Daniel said. “Momentum gained from the successes on these facilities significantly advance our site modernization initiatives and efforts to upgrade the infrastructure at Pantex.”

The effort supports modernization efforts as structures are removed and new ones are set to take their place, reinforcing Pantex’s manufacturing mission and the site’s designation as NNSA’s HE Center of Excellence.

The complex will provide laboratory space, classified and unclassified office and meeting areas, and a shower and change-out area for HE Operations personnel all in closer proximity to HE manufacturing operations at Pantex.

“This is another milestone captured and made possible by a huge team effort,” CNS Construction Manager Steve Kemp said. “It’s a significant milestone for sure and I am very excited to see the team perform and ‘go get’ the next one!”

The HESE is forecasted to be completed in March 2028.

Anyone who has ever played football will tell you that it takes a big team, and an even bigger effort, to get the “W” when the clock hits zero.

While every member of the team plays an important role in its success, few players garner more attention than the quarterback (unless you happen to be dating a worldwide pop music sensation). While fans typically focus on a team’s starting quarterback during normal circumstances, the spotlight can quickly shift to the backup when the starter isn’t able to play. Dallas Cowboys fans saw that last season when backup Cooper Rush led the team to a 4-1 record after starter Dak Prescott suffered an injury.

If Pantex were a football team, its backup quarterback would be Kenny Steward. As the deputy site manager, Steward, who has served at the plant for more than 30 years, works alongside site manager Colby Yeary to run the everyday operation here.

Their close teamwork is evidenced the plant’s bottom line, which saw goals met and exceeded across the facility last year.

Steward says he is incredibly proud of the members of the Pantex team of employees, who all stepped up to the challenge and served the mission.

“The team improved our production, project, and maintenance performance,” he said. “It is exciting to watch the team challenge themselves, accomplish their goals, and then establish a new goal as they continue to have a ‘persistent discontent with the status quo.’”

What CNS principle drives you to be successful?
Continuous Improvement. I remember having a conversation with a fellow employee after I assumed a new position. He told me the story of the physician, the coroner, and the mortician, and that story has stuck with me throughout my time with CNS.

He said, sometimes you’re just going to have to play the role of coroner – the person has passed, and it’s your job to figure out what went wrong. But to succeed in my role, I needed to be the physician – to look ahead, to heal that patient before the problem gets unfixable. And finally, you never want to be the mortician – all they’re trying to do is make an unfortunate situation pretty.

I internalized many of the things he said to me that day. “Quality is more than completing the checklist – you should find ways to drive improvement and consistency in our products and processes.”

I like to use a phrase he also used: That we should have a “persistent discontent with the status quo.” The principle of Continuous Improvement should drive us to never be content with the process as-is and to look for ways to remove frustration, improve cycle time, and improve our overall performance. Never be fine with just showing up – always look to improve yourself, or the process.

What is one thing your coworkers would be surprised to know about you?
I am a pretty open book. Most of my coworkers know a lot about me. They might be surprised to know that I am a Liverpool Football Club fan. I record all of Liverpool’s games and watch them at night or on the weekend if I have some downtime. I had the opportunity to see them several years ago with David Graham at Fenway Park in Boston. It was so cool to see football (soccer) played in a historic baseball stadium.

Celebrated annually on November 15, America Recycles Day, also known as National Recycling Day, began in 1994. The day serves to raise awareness about recycling and the purchasing of recycled products. It’s a reminder to all that how we recycle and reuse products is important.

That message resonates with CNS employees, because in Fiscal Year 2023, both Pantex and Y-12 saw substantial increases in recycled materials. While it is a win for the environment, the work also helps support the sites’ national security missions.

Y-12 recycled more than 5.8 million pounds, which is a record number of materials. This exceeds last year’s record amount recycled by more than a million pounds.

The recycling coordinator at Y-12, Lisa B., is encouraged by these achievements. “This means every employee took part in the program. It takes the entire plant doing their part to have such success. Each employee plays an important role. The more we recycle, the more we are able to keep items out of the landfill or items going off-site as waste.”

Pantex recycled more than 1.54 million pounds for FY 2023, which is close to an 8% increase over the previous year.

The intention isn’t simply to recycle more materials, but also to become more efficient in our practices. Alicia B. of Pantex Environmental Compliance notes that her group is working on a new initiative with Waste Operations to get a paper briquette machine. This equipment addition will fast-track the transition of waste paper into functional reusable material.

Sustainability has worked in tandem with Waste Operations to overcome obstacles at Pantex. “To have over 1.5 million pounds recycled this year, and the fact that we have continually been able to increase that number can be attributed to these groups working hard at finding recyclers in the Amarillo area,” she said. Waste Operations administers and manages
multiple recycling contracts through CNS Procurement. It is these contracts that essentially authorize us to offer materials to the recycler and take credit for diverting that material from landfill disposal.

Both sites ultimately attribute success to increased employee awareness and contributions. Adding recycle repositories around the sites has helped make recycling easy and convenient. Technological advances and vendor participation have allowed items to be recycled that would have previously ended up in the landfill or hazardous waste disposal.

“Employees should be proud to be a part of an organization that is so dedicated to keeping as much material as possible from going to the landfill,” said Jeremy P. of Y-12 Sustainability. He added, the goal is to create new material streams every year. This can only continue to foster an environment for recycling success at CNS.

Take 5 minutes to learn about Chris Harkins, CNS chief operating officer. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.

CNS Chief Operating Officer Chris Harkins helps manage daily operations of Pantex and Y-12 and works with President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Tighe to ensure the sites conduct safe and productive operations. When you consider there are more than 13,000 employees working to achieve the mission, that is a large undertaking.

“I’ve been impressed by the massive scope at Pantex and Y-12,” said Harkins, who arrived at CNS in May. To help keep safety and security at the forefront, he also provides oversight for investigations, critiques, and corrective action plans.

“The similarities between these and other sites made for a seamless transition,” he said. “From the safety first culture to our link to the national security mission, the Pantex and Y-12 workforces have a sense of purpose, are professional and proud, and know what they are doing.”

It doesn’t take new CNS employees long to understand the importance of the Pantex and Y-12 mission and feel a sense of pride and patriotism in serving that mission. For Harkins, a U.S. Navy veteran, the patriotism was already well established, but seeing an assembled product ready for shipment at Pantex recently, he felt added pride.

“Standing next to and seeing the final assembled product [at Pantex] waiting to be shipped to the Department of Defense was surreal,” he said. ”The Pantex workforce is extremely competent, and that is really important in this line of work.”

He has similar thoughts about Y-12. “I’m amazed at the employees’ expertise on uranium and other special materials and how the site is its own self sufficient manufacturing plant.”

The communities around both sites intrigue Harkins, thanks to a childhood hobby.

“I really enjoy watching the trains in the Amarillo area on the way to and from the site (I was a model railroader growing up),” Harkins said. “In Oak Ridge, it’s the historical aspect and the fact that the activities of the secret city of Oak Ridge were actually kept secret until the time of our choosing in 1945.”

As a U.S. Navy veteran, you likely are more familiar than most people with the mission of Pantex and Y-12. How has working for CNS changed or reinforced your thoughts on our mission (nuclear deterrence, managing the stockpile, etc.)?
My first exposure to nuclear weapons in the Navy came late in my career when I was assigned commander of the Atlantic fleet’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine [known as SSBN] squadron in Kings Bay, Georgia. As commodore of the SSBN squadron, I was responsible and accountable to the U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Navy for the readiness of our SSBNs (crews and equipment) to execute strategic missile launch tasking if directed. It didn’t take me long to gain immense respect and admiration for the exacting standards maintained by the SSBN force.

Today, having worked at Savannah River, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and now Pantex and Y-12, seeing the production end of the weapons programs brings an even greater respect for the entirety of the team behind our nation’s successful nuclear deterrence capability.

What daily task (specific meeting, report, etc.) lets you know you’re helping achieve the CNS mission? How/why does that task let you know you’re working toward the mission?
In the Navy, it was the ability to keep the required minimum number of SSBN submarines (and their warheads) at sea and/or trained/ready/available to meet national security requirements. Here at CNS, the most important metric is the ability to safely meet our warhead and bomb production rates so that our delivery platforms [bombers, ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), and submarines] actually have the number and types of nuclear weapons required by our national strategy. That’s why I believe it is so important for every employee to see a clear connection between what they do in their everyday job and how it directly contributes to our national security.

What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
My favorite aspect about my work environment is the ability to leave my office and go to the shop floor or into the field to engage the team. I am a big believer in getting out and about and engaging employees in their workspace.

I have yet to meet a CNS employee not eager to talk about what they do, share their accomplishments, and even more important for us as leaders, tell me how I can help them. Putting “eyes on target” is a very informative tool and enables the leadership team to maintain confidence that the mission is being met.

What top strength do you bring to your organization and why?
Towards the end of my Navy career, I became an expert in human factors analysis, specifically why smart, trained, and qualified people sometimes make bad decisions, the most significant of which could end up costing hundreds of millions of dollars and/or causing fatalities. Having a good understanding of decision making under various conditions and cognitive biases is essential to the prevention of errors, but that alone is not enough. Getting organizational buy in in this area and implementing the right processes and culture is much harder, but I have had the pleasure of leading it at several organizations. It is exciting to watch an organization become a genuine “high performing organization,” because the ultimate winners are the organization’s employees. If you have ever been on a winning team, you know what I am talking about — it inspires you to be even better and seek ways to improve yourself and your organization each and every day.

What’s your favorite outside of work activity and why?
I love the outdoors and staying active: fishing, boating, and relaxing at our lake house. I also enjoy hiking.

On Veterans Day, I think of the many honorable men and women I served with during my 30 years in the U.S. Navy. I am in awe of the selfless sacrifices my fellow veterans made to protect and defend our country. After all, there’s a reason we call military work “being in the service.” I see this same dedication in our people at Pantex and Y-12.

At CNS, we are proud of the large number of veterans who choose to continue their service to our country by working at our sites. With programs such as Veterans to Engineers and the Department of Defense SkillBridge internship that work to bring in veterans who have retired or are near the end of their military service careers, we attract unique and valuable talent to our sites. For the fourth year running, CNS earned a Gold Award from the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, which recognizes employers for their efforts to recruit, employ, and retain our nation’s veterans.

I am so grateful to the many veterans who choose to offer their skills and commitment to this important national security work. I feel truly fortunate to work alongside you all every day.

In honor of this special day, I wanted to share thoughts on Veterans Day from some of our veteran employees.

Chris

Local auto parts store recognized again for support to Pantex mission

AMARILLO, Texas – Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) presented the small business of the year award to North Amarillo Auto Parts (NAAP) during a recent Partners in Excellence supplier outreach event. The locally owned and operated small business plays a key role in Pantex’s mission success by providing auto parts and maintenance supplies.

“This is the kind of service you get from a family run company,” Pantex Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF) manager Bob Barnhart said. “The relationship we have with the NAAP team means more than just business, and they continue to go above and beyond for us.”

NAAP has been doing business with Pantex for more than 20 years and was also honored as small business of the year in 2017.

NAAP provides unique and hard-to-find parts to help the Pantex VMF maintain a fleet of more than 700 vehicles and 1,900 pieces of plant equipment, like low-speed vehicles, trailers, and forklifts. The Pantex fleet includes specialty vehicles for the fire department, security, and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Secure Transportation.

NAAP also ensures efficient material and part flow by providing vendor managed inventory services for the VMF.

“In the current supply chain environment, having a partner such as NAAP has been critical to improve our communication with the manufacturers, ensure on-time deliveries to the plant, and ultimately enhance material availability,” Josh Holly, Pantex Vendor Managed Inventory lead, said.

During fiscal year 2023, CNS awarded just over 60% of subcontracts at Pantex and Y-12 to small businesses, surpassing the company’s goal of 53.5%. This percentage includes those classified as small disadvantaged, woman-owned, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Bechtel National, Inc. is the lead member of CNS; minority members include Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, LLC; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects, and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Cell (806) 236.2826

Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov