20 December 1996 Department of Defense Ballistic Missile Defense Organization 7100 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301-7100 Dr. Ed Gerry Schafer Corporation 1901 N. Fort Myer Dr. Suite 800 Arlington, VA 22209 Dear Dr. Gerry, I would like to call your attention to the outstanding contributions of Mr. Walt Seiberling. You are well aware of Walt's dedication, professionalism, and technical depth but this letter highlights how essential Walt's efforts have been to BMDO and the broader community. The seven member, one star-level Steering Group unanimously approved the charter for the Joint Attack Operations Working Group this week. With this endorsement and Lt Gen Lyles' firm commitment to more BMDO involvement in Attack Operations, the JAOWG is positioned to be the integrating mechanism that can facilitate a substantial improvement in US/Allied Attack Operations capabilities. The charter approval capped a year long effort to identify the stakeholders in the Services, Joint Staff, OSD, and Defense and Intelligence Agencies, facilitate working together towards common goals, obtain agreement on key issues, and establish a vision for the Attack Operations community. Walt's efforts are a cornerstone of this achievement. Walt's contributions to this success have included leadership, management, and technical expertise. On the leadership front, Walt has worked closely with LTC Holt (Joint Staff, J8) and myself to define roles, mission, functions, and organization of the JAOWG. As a manager, Walt has consistently found the right talent mix to satisfy technical and programmatic requirements even when these requirements have changed rapidly. He has also worked with contractors supportin BMDO through other vehicles to integrate efforts and deliver the best value to the government. From a technical perspective, Walt has been instrumental in advising me on Attack Operations models, validity of data sets, and active defense system performance. As you know, Schafer established a track record with me during my time at DSWA of quality products on time and on schedule. Over the past year, that favorable track record has been significantly enhanced by Walt's efforts and accomplishments. Sincerely, Dr. Anne L. Vopatek BMDO/AQ