Photo by Drew Hamilton Maj. Patrick Workman, right, a TRAC White Sands senior military analyst, signs over 26 tablet laptop computers to Wendi Hammond, left, principal of Sonoma Elementary School in the school's lobby Jan 27. The laptops, used by TRAC to conduct Army analysis until being replaced by newer systems, were donated to the school to help get more technology in the classroom.

A New Mexico school will be putting more technology into the hands of its students thanks to a donation by a White Sands Missile Range tenant.

The Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center (TRAC) at WSMR donated 26 high performance tablet laptop computers to Sonoma Elementary School in Las Cruces, Jan. 27. The PCs all came equipped with external batteries that can extend the laptops battery life by up to eight hours, docking stations to allow more accessories to be plugged into the computer, a reversible touch screen to allow the laptop to also perform as a tablet PC, solid-state hard drives, as well as carrying cases, styluses, and other accessories.

WSMR Commander promoted to Brigadier General

Photo by Jennifer Tyler Daughters Jillian, left, and Emilee, right, pin the star epaulets on WSMR Commander, Brig. Gen. John Ferrari, center, as his wife Andi looks on during his promotion ceremony held at the Frontier Club, Jan. 24. Ferrari’s son, Matthew, presented the commander with the General’s belt. The commander was also presented with a one star flag to hang in front of Building 100 and travel with the Commander on TDY orders.

Newly promoted White Sands Missile Range Commander Brig. Gen. John Ferrari called his 28 years in the Army an interesting journey Jan. 24 during his promotion ceremony.

“How proud I am to be promoted today. It’s a humbling experience, Andi and I couldn’t think of a better place for us to have this ceremony,” Ferrari said.

Ferrari, who has been serving as WSMR Commander for almost six months, said he never envisioned staying in the Army for so long. Prior to meeting his wife, Ferrari said he was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas and was ready to leave the Army to pursue his masters, when he received an offer by phone to teach an Economics course at West Point, the United States Military Academy. Ferrari said it was at West Point, while pursuing his masters, that he met his wife and went on to have three children while continuing to pursue his career in the Army.


“I wonder sometimes had they made the phone call a week later, what my future would have held,” Ferrari said. “You never know what the military is going to do to you, where you’re going to go or, what you are going to do.”

Ferrari said he had enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday in July of 1983, and immediately questioned his decision. Ferrari spoke of a time where he was able to travel to California to see an Army versus Navy football game and residents opened their home to help the government avoid the cost of hotels during the trip. The couple, who took Ferrari in as an 18-year-old, was present at Ferrari’s ceremony.
Feb 2, 2012, 03:08 pm

Lean Six Sigma reinvigorated at WSMR
The Lean Six Sigma initiative has been reinvigorated at WSMR through a Continuous Project Improvement Program projected to save WSMR both time and money through 36 individual projects currently ongoing.

The CPI program adopts the LSS method; however the guidelines seek a faster project completion date and begin training from the top of the chain of command, down.

According to Master Black Belt Candidate and Acting CPI Office Chief, Gilbert Tapia, prior to CPI, a Lean Six Sigma project would average around 471 days. The new program requires the project be completed in 120 days. Tapia said since Lean Six Sigma was first deployed at WSMR only 16 projects were completed, saving the installation an approximate $15 million over the next five years.
“There’s a big emphasis of completing projects faster. When you kick off anything that’s new there is going to be a learning curve,” said Executive Director, Robert Carter. “As we get some momentum and complete initial waves of projects, hopefully we’ll see the time reduced.”
Feb 2, 2012, 03:11 pm