Army Commendations Earned by TARA Scientists (November/December 2000)

In a ceremony on November 6, scientists of the Life Sciences Division Toxicology and Risk Analysis Section were awarded commendations by the Deputy for Technical Services of the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine for their "tremendous contributions" towards improved science and Army policy on health issues related to chemical warfare agents.

After a reading of the award citation, Mr. Steven Kistner, Deputy for Technical Services, awarded TARA scientists Annetta Watson, Dennis Opresko, Robert Young, Robert Ross, and Po-Yung Lu with a Commanders’ Medallion "in recognition of excellence" and personal thanks from Brigadier General Lester Martinez-Lopez, Commanding, US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. In the letter to Dr. Lu, BG Martinez-Lopez, who is also Functional Proponent for Preventive Medicine for the Army Office of the Surgeon General, cited each recipient for leadership, scientific expertise, and the performance of high quality and timely analytical work on complex projects, and stated his "admiration for these fine scientists" and "the contributions that they are making to this great country." Drs. Opresko and Watson were especially commended for their "long-time dedication" and multiple contributions that "reflect great credit ....on ORNL, on the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, as well as the Army and the Department of Defense."

The citation closed by pointing out that the results of the TARA Team’s work "will have a very far-reaching impact on the Chemical Demilitarization program" as well as "the development of chemical agent detectors for our service members in deployment, and response procedures for acts of domestic terrorism involving chemical warfare agents." (Contact: Po-Yung Lu, 574-7587, LPY@ORNL.GOV); Funding Source: WFO)