News Notes
by Eric Edwards
MARTY KRAMMER NAMED CHINA LAKE ASSOCIATE FELLOW
In June, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) inducted Mr. Marty Krammer into its distinguished Fellows Program during a ceremony in China Lake, CA. Mr. Krammer was 1 of 11 technical experts added to the program in 2023. Started in the 1980s, the Fellows Program comprises three levels—Associate Fellows, Fellows, and Esteemed Fellows—which are selected by their peers, without input or influence from NAWCD senior leadership.
The Associate Fellows group, for which Mr. Krammer was selected, represents the top 3% of all NAWCWD scientists and engineers. According to NAWCWD Executive Director Dan Carreño, the Fellows are the experts who provide the technical acumen needed to “move the needle” and get needed technology and capabilities to the Warfighter.
Mr. Krammer currently serves as the Head of the Aircraft Vulnerability Division at NAWCWD and has been a leader in aircraft vulnerability research, development, testing, and evaluation for more than 34 years. His specialized technical expertise in aircraft fire, fuel tank self-sealing, explosion protection, and other areas has been influential in the development and success of numerous air combat systems, including the CH-53, V-22, AV-8B, F-15, F-14, F/A-18, Joint Strike Fighter, AH-1, UH-1, H-60, and V-22.
Congratulations, Marty, on this well-deserved recognition.
CARRELL MCALLISTER JOINS F-35 JPO
In October, JASPO and the Survivability Assessment Flight, Aerospace Survivability and Safety Office wished “fair winds and following seas” to Ms. Carrell McAllister, who accepted a position as a Research and Technology Lead Engineer in the Future Capabilities and Technology Directorate at the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO). With extensive experience in aircraft survivability (including specialized expertise in aircraft design, systems integration, structural analysis, and damage tolerance), Ms. McAllister joined JASPO in May 2019 to serve as its lead for the Vulnerability Assessment and Reduction Subgroup. Before that, she worked for Magee Technologies, the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. In her new position at the JPO, she is primarily responsible for supporting S&T development and facilitating the transition into the F-35 weapons system.
In leaving JASPO, Ms. McAllister notes how much she enjoyed the opportunity to work with so many exceptional leaders and dedicated experts in the survivability community, and she looks forward to continued participation with JASP as a community member.
Congratulations, Carrell, on your new position and thank you for all you’ve done, and continue to do, for the aircraft survivability community.
DALE JOHNSON RETIRES
In February, long-time aircraft survivability analyst and leader Dale Johnson retired after 35 years of Government service. Earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan in 1988, Mr. Johnson served for 20 yrs as an active-duty U.S. Air Force (USAF) officer. His assignments included working as an aircraft design engineer and then aircraft performance engineer at Wright-Patterson AFB from 1989 to 1993; as an intelligence architecture and requirements officer for the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB from 1994 to 1997; as the Chief of the Science and Technology Section of the 426th Intelligence Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, from 1997 to 2000; as an assistant Air Attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy, from 2001 to 2004; as then as an air dominance/operations research analyst, the Deputy and Chief of the Mission Analyses Division, and Brawler Model Manager for HQ USAF/A9 at the Pentagon from 2004 to 2009.
Following his retirement from active duty in 2009, Mr. Johnson continued his work as an Air Force civilian, working for the A9, which became the Air Force Secretariat’s Office of Studies and Analysis (SAF/SA). He served as an operations research analyst from 2009 to 2017, as the Deputy/Acting Chief of the Missions Analyses Division from 2017 to 2021, and as Chief of the Air Dominance Branch from 2017 to 2024. He also continued as the Brawler Model Manager, amassing nearly 20 years in that role, as well as supporting JASPO as an air-combat modeling subject-matter expert and briefly as Co-Chair of the Susceptibility Subgroup.
As far as retirement plans go, Mr. Johnson intends to travel the country and world “while still young enough to ‘see’ it all,” start tackling the honey-do list his wife has waiting for him, and “never work for anyone but [himself] ever again.”
Congratulations, Dale, on your retirement; thank you for all your contributions to the aircraft survivability community, and best wishes in your next stage of life.
