Oak Ridge National Laboratory
11/07/2024 | News release | Archived content
ORNL leaders take to the sky in Bosslift flight to recognize National Guard, Reserve staff
November 7, 2024
ORNL staff participants in the Bosslift flight, from left are: Brian Egle, Jeff Davis, Lisa Bollinger, Kris Torgerson and ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Several senior staff members from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer, experienced firsthand the rigorous training of military personnel by participating in a demonstration flight on Sept. 12, which was designed to show employers the skills of their military staff - known as a Bosslift flight.
Hosted by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a U.S. Department of Defense office, and the 134th Air Refueling Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard, the flight aimed to demonstrate the military training, skills and operations that civilian staff who also serve in the Guard and Reserve may conduct as part of their military duties.
"I was honored to participate in this unique demonstration of military training and expertise," Streiffer said. "Our veterans and military staff are a critical part of ORNL's workforce - and our scientific mission for the nation benefits from their training and commitment to service. I appreciate ESGR for organizing this thrilling experience."
The flight began with an operational briefing on the capabilities of the KC-135 refueling aircraft, followed by a safety overview by the 134th Air Refueling Wing staff. Participants then boarded the aircraft for a two-and-a-half-hour flight, where they observed complex refueling operations and interacted with the aircrews.
Our veterans and military staff are a critical part of ORNL's workforce - and our scientific mission for the nation benefits from their training and commitment to service. I appreciate ESGR for organizing this thrilling experience.
- ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer
"Participating in Bosslift was both humbling and enlightening," said Kris Torgerson, director of ORNL's Information Technology Services Directorate. "The reservists not only demonstrated their crucial role in national security but also reinforced why Veterans, Guard members and Reservists are such valuable assets to our team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory."
Nearly 11% of ORNL's workforce comprises military guards, reservists and veterans. These individuals bring skills from their military training to ORNL's daily operations, contributing to site protection, facility management and cutting-edge research.
The laboratory's dedication to its military staff has previously been recognized with the Department of Defense Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers supporting the Guard and Reserve. Events such as the Bosslift flight reaffirm the ORNL's pledge to provide a supportive work environment for veterans and military staff.
ORNL passengers included Torgerson; Lisa Bollinger, HR business partner, military liaison, and member of the Veterans Employee Resource Group; Brian Egle, head of the Stable Isotope Research, Development and Production Section in the Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate; and Jeff Davis, team leader of Waste Handling and Facility Operations in the Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality Directorate.
Egle and Davis both received an ESGR Patriot Award earlier this year for their outstanding support of staff in the Guard and Reserve.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. - Neil Gillette