Avondale, Louisiana -- The Department of Defense has awarded Avondale Industries, Inc., the prestigious James S. Cogswell Industrial Security Award, which recognizes defense contractors under the National Industrial Security Program who demonstrate a commitment to industrial security excellence through the maintenance of exemplery industrial security programs. The announcement of the award was made in Baltimore by the Defense Investigative Service's Director Margaret Munson, and the actual award presentation took place recently at Avondale's Shipyards Division in New Orleans, LA. According to Pat Dodson, Facilities Regional Director, Defense Investigative Services, who was in New Orleans to present Avondale with the Cogswell Award, only 57 out of 11,700 defense contractors nationwide receive the Cogswell Award. "That's less than 1/2 of one percent of all cleared contractors, so Avondale is in exclusive company," she said. The award is named for Colonel James S. Cogswell, a career military officer and the first chief of the unified office of industrial security. Colonel Cogswell established many of the basic principles of the defense industrial security program, including the partnership between industry and government. He was instrumental in molding the program's devotion to excellence in industrial security for the benefit of the ultimate customers, the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines whose lives depend upon the security and effectiveness of the weapons systems and material procured from companies such as Avondale. Dodson noted that 1996 marks the 30th anniversary of the Cogswell Award. Award considerations were industrial security consciousness and managment cooperation; effectiveness and management cooperation; effectiveness of employee industrial security education and motivation programs; industrial security practices and procedures; and ability to sustain progressive industrial security systems for the protection and handling of government classified information. After being nominated and endorsed for the Cogswell Award by several managment levels and field offices of the Defense Investigative Service, defense contractors considered for this award must qualify by consistently obtaining superior ratings from the Defense Investigative Service at regular inspections of the Industrial Security Department for the handling and safeguarding of government classified information for defense contracts. The final decision to select a facility for a Cogswell Award is made by the Director of the Defense Investigative Service, whose review includes coordination with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The selection process is a very rigorous one and any number of things can exclude a facility from further consideration. "With such an in-depth and extensive nomination and selection process, you can see why the Cogswell Award truly symbolizes excellence in industrial security," noted Dodson. "It takes a team effort by top managment, the facility security officer and security department, and the entire workforce." In commending Avondale on earning the award, she added, "In these post-Cold War times of risk managment, downsizing, budget cuts, and corporate consolidations, I believe it takes a heroic effort to achieve excellence in industrial security. My congratulations to Avondale for your outstanding contribution to national security!" In addition to Ms. Dodson, other officials from the Defense Investigative Service attended the award presentation ceremony at Avondale, along with representatives from the U.S. Navy's New Orleans Office of the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Avondale officials, including Vice President and Shipyard Manager Ed Mortimer, Vice President Dean Church, Industrial Security Manager Pete Cicero, and employees of the company's Industrial Security Department. Avondale Industries, Inc., headquartered in metro New Orleans, designs, builds and overhauls both military and commercial vessels.