Exelis Chief Executive Officer and President David F. Melcher has been recognized by the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Council of Trustees as the John W. Dixon Award recipient for 2014. The John W. Dixon Award is presented annually to “an individual of the industrial community contributing to national defense.” According to the AUSA Council of Trustees, the award was created, “to recognize the unique and direct contributions of American industry to the security of the nation and to honor the partnership between the Army and American industry that has produced the most effective and best equipped land force in history.”
The first-ever John W. Dixon award was presented to its namesake in 1989. Dixon entered the Army during World War II as a private, served two and a half years in combat in Europe, and left the service as a first lieutenant in 1946. The Council of Trustees selected Dixon to recognize, “his many exceptional achievements as a soldier and government official, scholar and academician, industrial executive and public leader,” according to AUSA.
Melcher, who retired as a lieutenant general after 32 years of service, last served as the Army’s military deputy for budget and deputy chief of staff for programs at the Pentagon. Since leading a spinoff from former parent company ITT Corporation in 2011, Melcher has made Exelis a partner of choice for the Army, empowering Exelis employees to bring efficient, mission-critical capabilities to soldiers on the ground. Read More