AFLCMC engineer to receive prestigious DOD Award

  • Published
  • By Brian Brackens

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Mitch Miller, the Air Force senior technical adviser and expert for avionics development and cyber resiliency with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, has been selected to receive the 62nd annual Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award.

With approximately 740,000 DoD civilian employees serving around the world, the award is given to an elite group of individuals who have demonstrated devotion to duty and have made significant contributions to DoD’s effectiveness. It is also the highest honor the department can give a civilian.

Miller will be recognized for numerous achievements, including his ground breaking success in leading efforts to strengthen Air Force cyber security and implement open systems architecture throughout the service.

"I was very pleased when I received the news that Mitch won this prestigious award," said Jorge Gonzalez, director of the Engineering and Technical Management /Services Directorate and Miller's supervisor. "Through his efforts in both the avionics and cyber areas, he's had a huge impact on our Air Force.  This award is well deserved."

Under Miller’s leadership, the Air Force Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems was created, becoming the first centralized organization responsible for supporting weapon systems in a cyber contested environment.

He also led the development of the Air Force Cyber Campaign Plan, which outlines the strategy on how to integrate and maximize cyber resiliency into new weapons systems and how to reduce vulnerabilities in fielded systems.

Miller was also instrumental in the creation of the Open Architecture Management Office, which is expanding open systems architecture to Air Force weapons systems, making them cyber resilient as well as reducing cost and schedule timelines of future upgrades by 40 percent.

“I am blessed to work for the United States Air Force, the greatest Air Force in the world, and I am truly honored to receive this award,” said Miller. “This is a team award, because senior leaders from across the Air Force were critical members of the team. I also want to thank the Cyber Campaign Plan champions for working so hard to make these critical enterprise efforts successful. I’m extremely proud.”

The DoD Distinguished Civilian Service Award will be presented to Miller by the Office of the Secretary of Defense at a ceremony Nov. 16 at the Pentagon Auditorium.