The Wackenhut Security Post

WSI - Nevada Test Site recently received the "Freedom Team Salute" from the U.S. Army. The program recognizes companies that have invested in America's defense by supporting their employees in the Reserve Forces of the U.S. Army.

WSI personnel attended an employer recognition ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Las Vegas at which they received a recognition letter signed by the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff.

The letter notes that hundreds of thousands of Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers have served in the Global War on Terrorism and acknowledges the cooperation of their employers in making this possible.

It goes on to say:

"The Army sincerely thanks you for your support to those who answer the call of duty as citizen-Soldiers. We thank you for all you do every day to keep America strong."

Congratulations WSI - Nevada Test Site team!

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Congratulations to the WSI - Nevada Test team on the recent successful collection drive during which donations of money, clothing and household items were gathered for Safe Nest. 

Safe Nest (www.safenest.org/) works to make a difference in the lives of the women and children impacted by domestic violence. It assists families to break the cycle of domestic violence by offering confidential shelter, court advocacy, and counseling.

It's comprehensive approach to domestic violence prevention and treatment also includes a broad range of bilingual programs and services, including Crisis Hotline and shelter services, crisis response, counseling services for victims and batterers, and counseling for children and adolescents, to name a few.

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WSI-Savannah River Site General Manager James H. Isom recently presented a $1,000 check to Patricia Welton of the Veterans Administration for the Seamless Transition Program and the Wounded Warrior Program.

These programs were created by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to improve the process of transitioning the health care of injured and ill combat veterans from Military Treatment Facilities to VA Hospitals.

"We are especially proud to support the Seamless Transition Program and Wounded Warrior Program," said Isom. "The military veterans who have fought for this country deserve our nation's commitment and respect."

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Congratulations to the following WSI - Savannah River Site team members who recently earned promotions:

To SPO II - Richard Titus, Shannon Gantt, Robert Lynch, Brady Murphy, Scott Hager, Bruce Bias, Roy Peterson, Steve Sutton, Willie White, Bradley Alfred, Tarrance, Jones, George Parks, and Bryan Sandifer.

To SPO III - Jesse Abbott, Charles Arbogast, William Bourbeau, Heath Brown, John Cagle, Kelvin Coleman, Aaron Cummings, David Dodds, Cody Finniesee, Joseph Gibbons, Steven Hall, Maurice Huffman, Loren Jefferson, Robert Krepps, Jonathan Mallory, Robert Moran, Ray Parrish Roland Sanchez, Christian Shepherd, David Terrill, and Phillip Tussey.

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Congratulations to the WSI - Nevada Test Site team on recently once again earning "Star" status in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

The DOE VPP, similar to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration program, is a cooperative effort among labor, management, and government at DOE contractor sites designed to help promote improved health and safety performance.

For their efforts, participating organizations are publicly recognized by the program's three levels of achievement - Star, Merit and Demonstration. Contractors with programs that meet the requirements for outstanding health and safety programs receive Star recognition - the top honor.

The continued success of WSI Nevada Test Site team began in 1994 when it conducted a thorough self-assessment of its existing health and safety programs against the stringent DOE VPP certification requirements. The self-assessment results began a collaborative effort by labor, management, and employee representatives to implement the improvements necessary to attain DOE VPP success.

In November 2000, a DOE VPP On-Site Review Team conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the WSI Nevada Test Site health and safety program. The team attained Star status and has retained that rating through subsequent recertification reviews in 2004, 2007, and now in 2008.

For their efforts in guiding WSI Nevada's success, Environment and Health Safety Section Manager Richard Shook, Security Police Officer Darlene Smith - the chair of the employee safety committee - and Senior Security Police Officer Jody Coles were recently recognized by the site's General Manager, Dave Bradley, with a Superior DOE Achievement Star Status Certificate and the WSI President's Coin of Excellence.

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Congratulations to the following WSI - Nevada Test Site team members who recently received promotions:

To Lieutenant - Brandon Gatdula, Colin McCarthy, Robert Osborne, Daril Rivera, and Shawn Woodhams;

To SPO III - John Codello, Tawny Fields, Joseph Figueroa, Albert Fischetti, Chad Hummel, Carlo Ochipinti, Dennis Ripley, and Ignacio Villarreal;

To SAS - Floriano Ciballos, Robert Dillon, Michael Evans, Joseph Reveal, and Cody Wells.

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Today's Oak Ridger has an interesting story on the recent Asian/Pacific Heritage Month celebration at WSI-Oak Ridge.

The program featured Shikgeko Uppuluri, who talked about her native Japan and how she came to be involved in bringing the International Friendship Bell to Oak Ridge, and historian and writer D. Ray Smith, who discussed the bell and his work researching its history.

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