NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. — Rhonda Link, a member of the Adversary and Specialized Aircraft Program Office (PMA-226), has been honored with the 2023 Defense Acquisition Workforce Individual Achievement Award for Services Acquisition. The award, presented by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, William A. LaPlante, is part of the five annual Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards, which acknowledge exceptional contributions in 24 categories to the National Defense Strategy.
Link’s achievement highlights her outstanding leadership and management skills in the PMA-226 Contracted Air Services (CAS) Fleet and Range Support team. Her role primarily involves overseeing government and contractor personnel who deliver essential CAS Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) support. This service is critical for maintaining readiness and affordability, benefiting the Navy and Marine Corps and international partners.
AAR, an essential capability enabling combat and support aircraft to stay airborne longer and traverse greater distances, eliminates the need for fuel stops, reducing the risk of damage or ground issues. This service has directly improved readiness levels and facilitated faster transit, according to Capt. Gregory Sutton, PMA-226 program manager.
Expressing her gratitude, Link stated, “I am honored that I get the opportunity to support DoD’s critical need for air-to-air refueling services. My team has worked very hard to deliver the fuel and provide pilot readiness training opportunities that the warfighter deserves.”
Under Link’s tenure, the Navy and Marine Corps have enhanced their AAR capabilities. This improvement was significantly propelled by the Multiple Award Contract (MAC) for aerial refueling, also known as the Tanker MAC, which consisted of two Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. Link has been instrumental in overcoming numerous challenges to meet AAR requirements when organic support is unavailable. The CAS AAR support under her management has ensured timely certification, training, and test events.
The scope of Link’s responsibilities is extensive. It includes managing tanker airworthiness qualifications, awarding flight hour contracts, and handling administrative functions. In fiscal year 2023 alone, her team awarded 50 Task Order Requests (TORs), all while meeting time-sensitive fleet requirements.
A noteworthy expansion of services under Link’s leadership occurred in 2023 when the CAS Fleet and Ranges Support team extended their support to Air Force platforms. This expansion marked a historic first, with contractor aircraft on the Tanker MAC refueling Air Force platforms during a summer exercise.
The Tanker MAC’s significance is underscored by its visibility across the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Link’s role involves communicating complex information to senior officials and responding to Congressional inquiries.
Highlighting the impact of Link’s work, one customer remarked, “Without the tanking services provided by this contract, major deployments and training exercises would potentially be at risk, and the fleet would be much less capable to fly and fight in support of Department of Defense tasking.”
Sutton praised Link’s efforts, saying, “The work that goes into management of this contract, the vendors, fleet schedulers, and the entire team is nothing short of phenomenal, and Ms. Link is more than deserving of this recognition.”
Link will receive her award at the Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards ceremony, scheduled for January 24 at the Defense Acquisition University in Fort Belvoir, Va. Her achievement not only celebrates her individual excellence but also underscores the vital role of effective management and leadership in advancing national defense capabilities.
