29 November 1999 Col (s) Randall S. Weidenheimer Chief, Engagement Systems Division 2420 Vela Way, Ste 1467-80 El Segundo, CA 90245-4659 Mr. Gary Golnik Schafer Corporation 321 Billerica Road Chelmsford, MA 01824 Dear Gary, I sincerely appreciate the outstanding support Russ Mail provided as an Evaluator on the High Energy Laser (HEL) Affordability and Architecture Study (AAS) Lead Selection, 28 Sep - 9 Oct 1999. This lead selection was the culminating effort of a nine-month, three-contractor competition. It was critical to select one contractor to lead the follow-on AAS activities under a combined team, the IFX Joint Venture. This was not a source selection per se, but it was structured as such to bring the discipline of a source selection while customizing it for the unique situation and constraints of the HEL AAS. The entire process consisted of three all-day TIMS at the respective contractor facilities and nine consecutive days of intense evaluation at the SMC Electronic Source Selection Facility. Russ's technical expertise was essential to understand, evaluate, and select the right lead contractor for this task. As an evaluator, he performed a thorough investigation of an extensive amount of material provided by the three contractors based on the Criterion he was assigned. His dedication was evident as the team worked into the weekend, and late into the evening throughout the selection process. His team-oriented attitude assisted in the consolidation of an extensive amount of evaluations provided by the team. Thank you for providing Russ to work the HEL AAS. His expertise and team-oriented attitutde were invaluable and will lead to this program's future success. Sincerely, Randall S. Weidenheimer, Col (s), USAF Chief, Engagement Systems Division