AFTAC Airman wins national-level award Published May 25, 2012 By Susan A. Romano Air Force Technical Applications Center Public Affairs PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- A member of the Air Force Technical Applications Center here is the recipient of the 63rd Annual Arthur S. Flemming Award in the field of Applied Science, Engineering and Mathematics. Capt. Joshua A. Burger, a systems engineer with AFTAC, earned the prestigious award that recognizes outstanding federal employees who make significant and extraordinary contributions to the federal government. Burger's nomination package went through several levels of review -- first by his own chain of command at AFTAC, followed by the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Agency, proceeding to a panel of colonels and senior executive service civilians at the Air Force level, then finally by a panel of distinguished, nationally prominent judges and consultants. The nomination submission outlined how he applied his engineering skills by leading a deployment team to respond to the Fukushima nuclear disaster that struck Japan in March 2011. Upon discovering a radiation detection capability gap, he coupled an off-the-shelf detection system with a state-of-the-art unmanned surface vehicle. His system provided officials the capability to determine safe stand-off distances for U.S. Navy vessels. "I was truly honored to have been nominated and am very thankful to have won," said Burger. "The real credit belongs to the members of my team and my supervisors, as they have presented me with incredible opportunities throughout my career. I am honored to serve our nation alongside them." Other past notable recipients of the award include astronaut Neil Armstrong, Nobel laureate William Phillps, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker Jr. and U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. "Before taking command of AFTAC, I had been told about the caliber of people who work in the center," said Col. Christopher A. Worley, the AFTAC commander, "but seeing Captain Burger earn this national-level award solidifies what I had been told. What a testament to his hard work. I am proud to have him as a member of AFTAC and congratulate him on such a monumental professional milestone." Burger will be honored by the Arthur S. Flemming Awards Commission at George Washington University in June. The award is named after Dr. Arthur Flemming, a career public servant who started his career in 1939 and spent seven decades in service to the federal government and higher education. In 1994, just two years before his death, President Clinton awarded Flemming with the Medal of Freedom in recognition of his dedication to the nation.